The 2nd Sacrifice
by Imagonna
Summary: Sequel to 'Sacrifice'. Nightmares continue to plague two Titans. A distant enemy from the past resurfaces as the Titans appear to have finally defeated their greatest foe. Yet, all is not what it appears to be. One thing is certain, things will never be the same. Ch. 10 is here! Yippee!
1. Prologue

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

_**Summary: The nightmares just don't seem to stop, not for Robin and Starfire, but what could they mean? Thinking they are prepared this time around, the team leaps into battle and seems to have finally defeated their greatest foe. Yet, all is not what it seems to be. Since this is a continuation of the last story, pairings will be: very heavy Robin and Starfire; and a triangle of Terra, Beast Boy, and Raven. **_

_**Rating: M for mature situations, violence, and some language.**_

**Legend - **

Normal Font**: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

_Italics_**: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_**A/N: Welcome my friends from the last story and all newcomers to the sequel of Sacrifice! It feels like forever since I wrapped up the last project, but I hope to provide you all with the same feeling of excitement through each and every chapter. It is my sincerest wish that you all enjoy the 2nd part to this story.**_

_**I'll start off with a recap of the last story so everyone can get brought back up to speed; or to remind my previous readers of what happened last time. It won't be a complete recap, just the highlights pretty much. If you want the whole story, you should probably check out "Sacrifice". After which, the prologue will follow. Thanks again everyone, and any feedback with be most appreciative. So whether you love or hate any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints with me. Let's get it started!**_

**Recap**

Occurring several months after Trouble in Tokyo, Robin finds himself haunted by nightmares. He becomes even more alarmed when Starfire admits to have the same dream. The Joker, a ghost from Robin's past, returns and unleashes his twisted sense of humor on the citizens of Jump City. To make matters even worse, the Titans' worst enemy, Slade, has formed an alliance with the Joker.

After thwarting Dr. Light's ploy to rob a bank once more, Robin and Starfire head out to a carnival for a special date. Everything was going perfectly until they find a young man who has died from prolonged exposure to Joker's toxic gas. The team heads out in search for the laughing clown, but they cannot find any leads. It was here that they met Frank Umbringer, an ambulance driver who reassured Starfire's faith in the team.

Slade makes his initial move later, forcing the team to split up and Robin to meet him head on. Although Robin had a backup plan to stop whatever Slade had up his sleeve in Starfire, both Titans were defeated that day, with Robin being taken prisoner by Slade and the Joker.

Grief struck at the loss, Starfire fell into a trance like state, where she was able to discover a hidden underwater submarine. It was used for part of Slade and Joker's plan to infect the entire city with Joker gas. Although the Titans found nobody at the submarine, they did find a trap. After narrowly escaping it, Slade challenged Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg to a duel, or face a cronaton detonator explosion. This left Beast Boy to face Joker's terror plot alone.

The three Titans defeated their opponents and rescued Robin. Starfire tended to Robin's wounds while Raven and Cyborg rushed to help Beast Boy. Beast Boy's battle was not going well. Shot through the chest with a laser, he faced utter destruction until Terra leaped in to save his life. Sacrificing her new lifestyle, Terra became captive to Joker, who seemed to steer away from Slade's plot.

Robin asked for Starfire to take him to a dark, cave like area where he could train and become one with the shadows once more. It was here that he first confessed his love for the red headed alien girl. Beast Boy's brush with death was not taken lightly, especially by Raven, who took it rather hard. Robin emerged soon thereafter from the shadows to deal with Joker and forever put an end to the theory that he would always be in 'his' shadow.

After an exciting battle on an offshore oil platform, Robin captured Joker and rescued Terra. Upon rejoining the team, both himself and Starfire gave each other a special present. It was here of the introduction of a silver ring and bracelet. Robin wore the ring on a necklace afterwards and Starfire wore the bracelet over her left wrist. They had even formed a stronger bond between the two, with a simple sentence, "As long as we are together, we can overcome anything"

Slade challenged the Titans once more, but this time, he had help. Allied with the worst villains from all the Titans' past, Slade was aiming for a final confrontation with the Teen Titans. The six Titans leaped into battle, but amongst the 2nd battle, Terra sacrificed herself to save Beast Boy. Brother Blood was squashed by a giant Buddha-like statue, Malchior was sealed within his book (again), and Starfire put an end to her rivalry with her sister. Robin managed to stop Madame Rouge's attempts to halt any further progress, which left a final confrontation with Slade.

The battle between Robin, Starfire and Slade was something unexpected. Having gained a new weapon, Slade had the upper hand against all five remaining Teen Titans. After telling Cyborg and Beast Boy to carry the girls out to safety, Robin continued to fight against Slade, alone. It was during this battle where Robin unmasked Slade, but it wasn't really Slade at all. It was Frank Umbringer, the ambulance driver who was experimenting with some of Joker's new DNA nanotechnology. Starfire returned to the battle scene just in time to save Robin's life once more, but Frank still seemed to have the upper hand with his new weapons. It was here that Blackfire intervened, claiming to want to make a fresh start and showing how a Tamaranian truly fights. Giving up her own power to restore Robin's, Blackfire and her younger sister stood at the mercy of Frank's weapons until Robin, fully healed, re-emerged. With a lethal combination, Robin finally put an end to Frank's game.

_And now we continue the story..._

**Prologue**

It was very dark outside. The only light came from the stars as there was no moon on this night. On an island in the bay sat a giant T, the headquarters of the Teen Titans. Deep inside the tower, a red headed girl was snoring loudly beside him.

_The Teen Titans were engaged in a battle. Cyborg and Robin had just finished a combination attack, the sonic boom on an unseen foe. As the dust settled, the Gordanian general Koteamine was still standing, completely unscathed._

_"This isn't good, no matter what we throw at him or how hard we hit him, he just keeps coming!" Cyborg beckoned to the others as his right arm changed into his trademark sonic cannon. Slowly, Koteamine began taking slow steps towards the Titans._

_"We have to do something, now!" Raven announced to the group, she tried slowing the Gordanian down by bringing up large pieces of the earth from the ground, but Koteamine simply walked through them as if they were a gentle breeze._

_"Raven's right, it's time to kick it up a notch!" Beast Boy shouted as he transformed into a tiger. The green tiger started galloping towards Koteamine, and slashed at the aqua colored reptile. The Gordanian raised his left arm to block the strike, then started to laugh._

_"This is how you slash somebody, boy!" Koteamine's claws extended and he took one lightning fast swipe at the green tiger who was trying to avoid the attack. Its legs soon gave out on him and the tiger fell onto its stomach, as blood started to run on the floor underneath him._

_"Beast Boy! You're not going to live to regret that one you bastard!" Cyborg started firing multiple shots at the Gordanian general, all of them connecting, but kicking up dust. Koteamine broke off a piece of his own claw and hurled it at Cyborg, splitting him right in half. Cyborg's upper half fell onto its back before the glow of his robotic side went dark._

_"Cyborg!" Robin was shouting at the top of his lungs. This couldn't be real, it just couldn't. He started to run straight at the Gordanian general, but a black raven came between him. Looking over, Raven's eyes seemed to communicate something to him. He nodded and started running towards Starfire._

_Starfire was firing starbolts at the Gordanian, but soon felt herself being pulled forcibly from the battle site as Robin grabbed her hand. They both started running back into the darkness of the alleyway as Raven provided them with some cover. They weren't ten seconds inward before Raven's scream stopped them both. Robin gave one hard look at Starfire, who was looking back at where Raven had screamed, and sighed once very heavily. He looked down to find their hands joined, this was going to be their last._

_Their attention was drawn straight upward as Koteamine's shadow swept right above them. He landed onto the pavement hard, causing a small crater. His claws were extended and to prove how sharp they were he took a swipe out of the building before opening his mouth._

_"What will you do now? Neither of you are leaving here alive...I have tolerated your existence for long enough!" Koteamine spoke in a boasting tone. Starfire and Robin's backs were up against the wall, and he knew it._

_"You will do nothing to harm her!" Robin threw several small white balls at the Gordanian general's face as he announced. They all popped before they hit Koteamine, causing blinding light to stun him momentarily. Without hesitation, Robin charged, bo-staff at the ready. He took a powerful swing at Koteamine, and blew him back into the wall. The Gordanian shook his head and pulled himself up onto his feet._

_"Why you..." Koteamine spoke a bit irritably, but Robin charged again. He swung his staff again, but Koteamine was ready this time and caught the staff with his right hand. He swung his left arm around, breaking Robin's staff in two. Using his tail, he wrapped it around Robin's neck before flinging him back into the wall behind Starfire._

_Starfire's eyes started to change into their emerald green color. She fired a large starbolt straight at Koteamine, but with one swift motion, knocked it into the air as if it were broccoli he didn't order. She charged at him, but Koteamine caught her face with his tail and she bounced hard onto the ground. When she looked up, she saw the Gordanian standing tall over her._

_"You Troq's should learn your place...on your knees begging for death!" Koteamine's claws came down on Starfire. She closed her eyes to brace for the impact, but only heard the impact of something else being stabbed. As she opened her eyes, Robin had taken the full force of the claws head on, and they were impaling his chest. His arms were extended, he was protecting her by offering himself as a sacrifice. Koteamine did not find this as as amusing, as he flung the limp body to the side. Starfire's eyes began to tear up._

_"NOOOOOOOOOO!" A single teardrop fell to the ground as the Gordanian general brought down his claw one final time..._

"Star? Starfire, wake up!" Starfire's eyes were closed, but she was being shaken by somebody.

"Starfire, wake up! It's okay, wake up!" Starfire's eyes opened slowly at first, then they opened fully quickly. She sat up and started rubbing her forehead, it was filled with a cold sweat.

"You were dreaming again, another nightmare I'm guessing?" Robin inquired as he rubbed her back. His touch was always warm, it was very reassuring.

Starfire nodded as her breathing finally stabilized. She looked over to Robin who simply stated, "Well, I should get go-".

Robin had tried to stand up, but Starfire grabbed his hand. She looked up at him with her bright green eyes and blushed slightly. There was an awkward moment of silence before she gathered up all her courage to ask, "will you stay with me tonight?"

Robin was a bit taken aback by her request, but smiled and gave a silent nod. Starfire laid on her left side and pulled Robin's arm over her right shoulder, she always felt safe in his arms, and it always allowed her to quickly drift to sleep. Something rattled on Robin's neck before it fell out of his shirt and into clear view. It was his ring, and she smiled at the fact he still wore it. She looked down at her own left wrist to her own golden bracelet. "_As long as we're together, we can overcome anything..._" The words which had given her strength countless times filled her up with new found strength, and she quickly fell asleep, forgetting all about the nightmares of the night.


	2. Chapter 1: Some Things Never Change

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

**Legend - **

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

**Chapter 1 - Some Things Never Change**

Starfire woke up to find an empty bed. It was something she was getting used to, although she had to admit that it still bothered her. Since their miraculous battle against Frank and his brother Arthur, Starfire had taken a more permanent residency within Robin's room. She opened up his closet to find a spare set of clothes, as she had made room for several of her things within it. She pulled out a clean set of her traditional purple outfit and glided towards the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she made her way to the medicine cabinet, which she had gathered all of her toiletries. She pulled out a razor, some shaving cream, various lotions, and her own choice of perfume and set them down on the counter top. The shower was steaming now, so she undressed and hoped in. There was always enough hot water for her, Robin had installed his own personal hot water heater after Beast Boy and Cyborg had played pranks on one another using hot water as its source. The water felt good on her skin, as she enjoyed how it felt. She reached out and pulled out a bottle of liquid soap and rubbed it all across her body. She loved how her body felt after it was clean, earth women really did know how to indulge themselves.

After going through her routine of rinsing, lathering and repeating using a spring time fresh shampoo, Starfire reached for a towel to dry herself off with. She giggled for a second recalling how Robin had once questioned why girls use so many towels. Putting her thoughts aside, she wrapped herself in one, and another in her hair. She applied some facial cream, rubbed lotion all over her skin, and applied some light make up. She dressed into her purple tank top, short skirt and boots, then unwrapped the towel around her head. She grabbed the hair dryer and turned it on, allowing the heat to further dry her glowing red hair. Once she finished, she applied a light colored lip gloss, put everything back into the medicine cabinet, observed herself in the large mirror and made her way out of the bathroom and towards the common room for which all things seemed to occur at Titan's Tower.

It was still rather early, so Starfire decided to try her hand at making breakfast again. Not wanting to give up her Tamaranian cooking style away completely, she found a way to compromise. For every earth dish she made, she would make a Tamaranian one as well, as it was one way she could still feel close to her home at Tamaran. If there was one thing she was grateful for in the fight against Frank and Arthur, it was that her relationship with her sister, Blackfire, had finally been resolved. Blackfire had hung around Earth for a few more weeks with the Titans before setting off back towards Tamaran, but not before Starfire and the rest of the Titans put in a good word for her. Her guardian the current king, assured them that all her crimes against Tamaran would be pardoned, and that she could take a more active approach in leading Tamaran once more, as a princess and personal advisor.

The sliding doors opened as Starfire had finished preparing breakfast. Beast Boy, who was probably a full head taller than he had been in the last few months, and Cyborg both made their way into the dining room. Beast Boy stretched out his back while Cyborg shook off a yawn as they both made their way to the table. Starfire quickly put her prepared food on the table, which both of them immediately groaned at. Starfire had made an omlette filled with Tamaranian food. Cyborg swore he thought he saw it move, and rather decided to sip some coffee. Beast Boy reached for the basket of fruit and indulged himself in it as the sliding door opened once more.

Beast Boy had significantly grown up since their last encounter with Frank, all of his fellow Titans noticed he was much more to himself, and didn't speak out as much. He was still clueless on many things, but his growth as a person had gained him much more respect amongst the general population. Terra's sacrifice had weighed heavily on his mind, and Robin felt it best to leave him to sort out his feelings. He expressed that if Beast Boy needed anything, that the Teen Titans would always be there. The others agreed and each made their own attempts to ensure that he did know they were there for him.

Among all the Titans, Cyborg was probably the least affected by what had happened in the battle with Frank and Arthur Umbringer. His own personal feelings with himself and Sarasim were long settled before their final battle, so he was prepared for what had transpired. That wasn't to say he wasn't entirely affected by what happened, he had taken solace by doing voluntary community service in order to reacquaint himself with the outside world. While most of the populous believed it was a waste of time and effort to volunteer, Cyborg disagreed. Seeing the faces for what he did gave him some renewed strength, and he felt it was good to know that he was making a difference in somebody else's life.

Raven walked slowly through and sat beside Beast Boy as Starfire poured her some hot water. Raven reached into her pockets, thanked Starfire for her effort, and pulled out a small tea bag. She dipped it several times, glanced at the food on the table, and motioned for Beast Boy to pass the basket of fruit. She pulled out an apple and took a small bite. While her own recent encounter with Malchior had opened up old wounds, Raven herself had managed to push aside and persevere through. Even though the team had been severely tested, it was good to know that the team was still together. She never openly admitted her feelings to the others, but had the impression that they all knew. Terra's selfless act had finally put to rest any ill feelings towards her, even though she made mistakes in the past, it was hard not to forgive and thank her for what she had done.

Starfire made her way and sat down besides Cyborg. She took a plate and put something from everything she had made onto it. She took several bites before she spoke.

"Dearest friends of mine! Has anyone perhaps seen...?"

"Nope."

"Sorry."

"Not since yesterday"

All three had responded to her question before she could finish. This apparently was something had happened a lot recently, and it was more routine now than anything else. Robin was often nowhere to be found in the mornings except during training days. Any other time he was in the war room, a special place where he was able to plan and manufacture useful devices, schemes and how to combat any new developments that the villains of the city might try.

Starfire sighed once and continued to eat. After she had finished, she collected the leftovers and started to clear the table, as it was her week to do so. The other Titans soon moved afterward and each went their separate ways. Raven retreated back to her room to read a new book about a historic cult, Cyborg wanted to upgrade the T-Car, and Beast Boy made his way to the television to play the new Game Station 3.

After she had finished doing her morning chores, Starfire made her way over towards where Beast Boy was playing.

"Friend Beast Boy! May I join your new game? It looks as much fun as riding a Glumporg!" She clapped her hands a couple of times as she spoke, hoping that he would allow her.

"Sorry, Star, I'm practicing to beat Speedy. We've got a game showdown today at 3...maybe later though..." Beast Boy's eyes never met hers as his focus was on the television. A small red car was passed and Beast Boy cursed as he wiggled the joystick his controller even faster.

"I see...Perhaps we can hang out later then...?" Starfire inquired, but received no response. She flew towards the living quarters and knocked on Raven's door lightly three times.

The door opened slightly to reveal only the left side of Raven's face.

"Friend Raven! Perhaps I could join you in your meditation for the day?" She put her head a bit closer towards the door as she asked.

"I didn't plan on meditating for a couple hours. If you want to then, you can..." Her door shut as soon as she finished speaking. Starfire sighed again and made her way towards the elevator.

She pushed the button for the ground level, where Cyborg kept his T-Car. She could feel the room bumping as she made her way closer towards the door. Cyborg had his music on, and the volume was turned up very loud. As the door opened, Starfire had to cover her ears as the music was even louder, the rhythmic beats hurt her ears to listen to. The T-Car's hood was popped, and Cyborg was fiddling with something in the engine. She tapped his shoulder once to gain his attention.

"IS THERE SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP YOU?" Starfire shouted at the top of her lungs.

Cyborg shook his head as he shouted back, "SORRY, STAR, I'VE JUST FINISHED AND AM HEADING INTO TOWN TO OFFICIATE A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME!"

Starfire nodded and made her way out of the room. She was kind of glad in a way, she didn't know how much longer she could have stood the music. Sighing in defeat, she made her way towards the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. She rode it up silently, a bit depressed at her current situation. The mall wouldn't be open until mid-day, Raven need several hours before she was going to meditate, Cyborg and Beast Boy were preoccupied and Robin was nowhere to be found. The sliding doors opened and she made her way onto her familiar spot on top of the roof. The view was always magnificent, no matter how many times she had come up. Several sea gulls flew above the air, occasionally dipping down to try and catch their meal. She sat down, hunched, and watched the city begin its daily routine. She saw in the distance children waiting for the school bus, people in line to buy coffee at the local corner store, and several old men in the park playing chess against one another. The sun's rays reflected light off her bracelet into her eyes. She looked down on it and moved it up her wrist. Sighing, she laid onto her back and gazed at the sky. The clouds were slowly moving forward when a booming sound sat her up quickly.

She looked for the source of the noise. It was towards the city, she could see smoke coming up from on top of a rooftop maybe 300 yards away. She tried to focus her eyes, had a fire broken out? The answer was no as she saw a shadowy figure dart across, with another following suit. It was Slade, he was running away from something. _Slade? Why is he...?_ Starfire couldn't put the pieces together fast enough as Robin's familiar figure leaped up and threw a spinning kick at his nemesis. Slade turned and blocked it with his left forearm and pounded Robin straight in his chest with his right palm. Robin hit the floor hard as Slade turned around and started running again.

"Robin!" Starfire got to her feet quickly. He would surely need her help. Slade was no opponent to take lightly. Robin may have acted differently whenever Slade was involved, but she had noticed some improvement in his overall demeanor. Slade leaped onto the next building, and had to turn around to block a birdarang which Robin had thrown to slow him down. Starfire took a long glance backwards at the Tower, it would take the others too long for them to catch up. She would have to inform them as she flew to help Robin.

Starfire took off without a second thought. She reached for her communicator, opened it and began speaking.

"Starfire calling all Teen Titans. My friends, Robin is fighting Slade! Requesting immediate assistance please!"

She put away her communicator and sped up. Robin and Slade were taking turns exchanging blows, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Her eyes started to glow emerald green and her hands powered up as she got closer to the both of them. _Hang on, Robin, we are coming to assist you! You don't have to keep doing things all by yourself! You're not alone anymore!_

**Meanwhile, in a galaxy far off in the distance...**

Several large reptilian creatures were carrying a much smaller man by his arms. They were on a remote planet, very far away from Earth. As they approached the doors, two more reptilian guards observed the group then bowed to allow them access. The doors opened and the large creatures hurled the man towards the center of the room. One of the reptiles moved forward and bowed at the feet of some stairs before speaking.

"Your Excellency, I present to you the Earth creature who has the ability to pass through time, the one known as Warp..."

"Were you seen or detected by any of the other Earth creatures?" A much quieter toned voice came from the top, he was sitting on top of the throne.

"No, my lord, we used the cloaking technology of Planet Olander to avoid detection. Sir, while we were there, we also picked up traces of the fallen ship which the fallen warrior Trogar. His last location was enroute back here, he was transporting the Tamaranian princess. We have found out that she is living on the planet amongst the Earth creatures..." The lower minion answered in a very frightful tone.

"Trogar was a fool, if he was beaten by the Earthlings and a simple Troq, he deserved to die..." Another voice came from beside the throne, as a much larger creature stepped forward. He was easily twice the size of the others, and his appearance made Warp shiver in fear.

"My lord, allow me to travel to Earth and deal with the pathetic creatures. Even if Trogar was a fool, he was still a Gordanian. And his defeat has tainted our ways!" The large Gordanian roared out.

"My dear Koteamine...I would dare not insult your skills by sending you to such a vile and disgusting place..." The king responded in an almost admirable way.

"It is no trouble at all, my lord, after all, it's been far too long since I got my own hands dirty. I could use this as a tune up for practice when we invade the Troq's home world of Tamaran..." Koteamine moved towards the front of the throne and bowed like the Gordanian before him.

"Practice, eh? That gives me an idea..." The king looked down onto a paralyzed Warp, who was frozen with fear. He laughed several times out loud, which boomed the entire palace.

**Meanwhile, back at the battle between Slade and Robin...**

Slade kicked Robin squarely in the stomach. He flew backwards and crashed into a wooden shack. The small building collapsed on top of him, but Robin had thrown several boards off of himself, but he was pinned underneath. Slowly, Slade walked forward, he was carrying something round and small in his right hand.

"It's time to put an end to our affair, Robin, once and for all..." Slade's voice was cold, it was as if he was bored with fighting him. He tossed the small black object towards him, a red light was blinking several times as it approached him. Robin closed his eyes and tried to cover himself as another explosion took place. It obliterated several of the boards, and left the others black and broken. Ash was all that was left at the detonation point, as black stains covered the rooftop in a small radius from the blast. There was no sign of Robin, though, Slade's eyes could not find anything. Not a piece of his glove, his utility belt, nothing, it was as if he had completely been wiped out. _No, that blast was too weak to get rid of a human body completely..._

Slade realized that he had missed as Robin came flying in. He punched Slade straight in the side of the head, knocking him backwards and landing straight on his arse. He reached into his own belt and pulled out another explosive device, but a green starbolt came flying in and knocked him backwards several more feet, knocking the bomb straight out of his hand.

"Thank you, Starfire, I owe you big time..." Robin spoke as Starfire set down right beside him.

"You're right, you do. You can start by apologizing and explaining why you did not contact any of us!" Her voice grew louder and louder as she finished.

"Yeah, sorry about that, it just kind of...happened that way..." Robin rubbed the back of his head, his explanation was poor at best, and he could tell she didn't buy it at all.

"Am I interrupting...?" Slade's voice came from in front of the two as their attention was drawn to him once again.

"I'm very disappointed, Robin. Can you not handle one person without the help of your friends?" Slade asked in a very mocking tone.

"Silence, you coward!" Starfire had shouted before Robin even had a chance to respond, "You are the one who plays tricks and tries to gain an advantage through evil and manipulative ways. I will never forgive you for what you have done to me and my friends!"

Without another word, Starfire started flying towards him. She threw several starbolts at him, but Slade did several back flips to avoid them. He threw another bomb at Starfire, and Robin had to leap in to move her. The bomb went off with another large BANG! and the resulting force knocked them both onto the ground. Slade reached into his belt and pulled out one more bomb, but never got the chance to use it as his feet were suddenly pulled under him by a large black shield. He felt his feet move and he slammed face first into the rooftop, falling into the store underneath. In front of Robin and Starfire, Raven had appeared from the black raven's shadow.

"Looks like we made it just in time..." She said in her usual tone, cold, but reaffirming at the same time.

"We?" Robin asked briefly, but Slade had jumped up into the air. He had thrown another bomb at the three Titans, but a sonic cannon blast blew it out of the sky, causing it to explode without harming anyone.

"Yo! Who said ya'll could start without me?" Cyborg's voice came booming from on top of a rooftop across the street. His arm had transformed into his sonic cannon, and he his grin extended almost to his ears.

Slade cursed and turned around to run, but a green hawk flew in at his feet and tripped him. He fell again onto his stomach as the hawk transformed into Beast Boy and in front of Robin.

"Dude, this whole day was getting boring as it was. What do you say we put Slade out of business once and for all this time?" Beast Boy's eyebrow raised as he finished.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Beast Boy." Robin smirked back as Slade made his way to his feet again.

"Titans...Go!" Robin shouted as he pointed towards their greatest adversary. All five leaped into battle, they were all going to put an end to Slade's games for good this time...

_As the Teen Titans leap in to face off against their greatest adversary, the Gordanians seem to be plotting an invasion of Tamaran. Additionally, the King has ordered Koteamine, his greatest general to Earth to deal with the Teen Titans. What new dangers await the Teen Titans?_

_Next Time: Chapter 2 - The Dragon's Fire Blast_

_Slade pulls out all the stops as the battle continues with himself and the Teen Titans. Robin and Starfire combine their strengths to use a new ultimate attack. You definitely won't want to miss it!_


	3. Chapter 2: The Dragon's Fire Blast

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading up to this point. Reviews are always appreciated, so whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints with me. **_

**Legend - **

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_As the Teen Titans leap in to face off against their greatest adversary, the Gordanians seem to be plotting an invasion of Tamaran. Additionally, the King has ordered Koteamine, his greatest general to Earth to deal with the Teen Titans. What new dangers await the Teen Titans?_

**Chapter 2 - The Dragon's Fire Blast**

"Titans...Go!" Robin shouted as all five launched a combined attack against their greatest foe. The first was Beast Boy, transforming into a tiger, the green beast slashed a vicious blow across his chest. Starfire fired her starbolts while Cyborg unleashed his sonic cannon. Slade tried to cover himself somewhat, but the combined forces were too great as the floor exploded underneath, causing him to fly backwards. Without missing a beat, Raven chanted "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" a black disc darted underneath Slade. He felt himself being flung high up into the air. As he was coming down, he saw it was the final set up, as Robin leaped up into the air, his fist ready and poised.

"Take this! Rising Dragon Punch!" Robin's finishing move had connected right on his stomach. Slade involuntarily spit up as Robin's blow connected. He could feel the punch going further into his body, and then with a spinning move from Robin, he felt himself being lifted up into the air once more. He landed hard on his back, clenching his stomach with both arms.

"It's over, Slade...surrender now!" Slade could hear Robin's voice echo through his mask. _Their power and skills have risen drastically...I underestimated them all..._

"No, Robin...I'll never stop, not now...not ever..." Slade pushed a button on his wrist as he finished speaking. Starfire looked around, she couldn't see what the button was used for. Then, it happened. An army of Slade's robot commandos appeared, they were hiding using some sort of cloaking technology. Each one was wielding some sort of weapon: a blaster, a sword, a spear, there were too many to count or keep track of.

"Well now, I think this evens out the playing field...Let us resume the conflict, shall we?" Slade pointed a finger and flicked it at the Titans, and all the commandos at once began to attack.

"Titans...Split up!" Robin shouted as he and Starfire took off in one direction. Raven and Cyborg darted to the left while Beast Boy took the center. Beast Boy allowed himself to be surrounded by the commandos. He simply smirked as he transformed once again into a Stegosaurus. The giant green dinosaur whipped its tail around, catching many commandos and splitting them in half, destroying them.

Cyborg took the offensive to the commandos. He punched one in the chest which caused it to fly straight back into several others. As all of them shook off the blow, they saw a sonic cannon blast head straight for them. The blow destroyed each of them, causing their remaining pieces to fall to the floor. Raven erected a giant black shield, which she used to push the commandos right off the top of the building. Each one hit something on the way down, causing them to lose a various limb.

This left Starfire and Robin alone to face Slade and his remaining bodyguards. There were only about a dozen, plus Slade. They had reached a stalemate after Starfire had ripped apart several of Slade's commandos. One of the commandos charged, but Robin used his bo-staff to pole vault himself up into the air and came down with a vertical blow right on the head of the commando. It fell down and the noises of its shutdown soon followed. The others soon joined, and Starfire and Robin both leaped in to meet them. A right hook, tornado kick to the jaw, double fisted uppercut, Robin had finished off three in an instant. Four commandos took off in flight to surround Starfire. She moved her eyes to the left and then to the right, waiting. The first one charged from behind. She flew straight upward to avoid it, and fired a starbolt at its back. The second kicked straight at her. It was fast enough to catch her off balance, as it hit her square in the stomach. The damage was another matter, as the power behind it was weak. She grabbed onto its ankle and spun it around, using it as a weapon to knock the other two out of the sky. Glancing down, she saw Robin finish off the last two with his exploding discs. Smiling, she hurled the last commando at Slade, who tilted his head to avoid it as it crashed and exploded in the street.

With all of the commandos surrounding Slade defeated, it was just him who remained. He pulled out his small metal stick, which extended fully and charged at the pair. Slade pulled something from his belt and threw it high up into the air. Starfire was able to catch a glimpse of the three small black balls, which exploded at their highest peak. What came out of them was a blinding light, she couldn't see as she had to close her eyes for several long seconds. As she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Slade as high up as she was, and he kicked her backwards, as she fell to the ground. Slade continued his assault by bringing down his own staff onto the top of Robin's head, who was also covering his eyes. Robin fell forward, but Slade grabbed his hair, pulled him up and with one spinning kick, knocked him back towards Starfire.

"No matter how many times you try, the end result will always be the same..." Slade mocked as Starfire helped Robin to his feet. He looked up to see Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy finishing off the stragglers. It wouldn't be long before he would have to face all five again. He would no longer be able to continue to delay. It was time to lay down the cards on the table.

Slade held up his left wrist and turned a small metal piece. Starfire and Robin both hesitated as his body became enshrouded with a metallic substance. Slade roared loudly, causing the other Titans to look over at the developments. Continuing, he slashed both of his arms in a horizontal manner, and dozens of small steel-like blades came shooting out towards both Starfire and Robin.

Starfire grabbed hold of Robin's hand as they both took off up high to avoid the barrage. They were at least 20 feet up in the air, looking down on Slade, who was still shouting as the metallic substance covering his entire body was starting to centralize around his chest, legs, and arms.

"Robin, are you injured?" Starfire asked as she looked down, but Robin didn't answer. He was transfixed on what Slade was doing. _That attack, I don't think it was originally meant to be one..._

Both eventually set down once again as the other three Titans joined them. Together, they all watched carefully as the metal started forming around Slade. It molded, almost as if it were putty into an additional layer of clothing. It continued until it became a light suit of armor. His chest, forearms, and shins were covered with the liquid metal. Robin and Raven were both able to notice the metal harden as it finalized its shape.

Slade stood alone, silently as the wind brushed up some dust around him. He pulled out his bo-staff and to everyone's shock, he instead threw it at the ground. The small pole rolled and came to a halt roughly halfway between the two.

Beast Boy was the first to become irritable.

"Am I supposed to be impressed by this? This is for Terra...HA!"

Without another word, the green man charged before Robin could tell him to wait. He changed once again into a gorilla, and it roared as it galloped toward their foe. Slade, however, made no effort to move. The green gorilla raised its fist high up into the air and roared as it came down onto Slade's head.

"He's taking the blow the head on?" Cyborg remarked, astonished. All four other Titans watched as the blow was about to connect.

BAM!

All four Titans shared looks of astonishment as Slade let the gorilla hit him. The result, however, was what truly was something else. The green gorilla's punch had hit Slade, but he might as well have been punching a brick wall, for he didn't even flinch. The gorilla curled its lip and punched again...and again...

Each blow was having absolutely no effect on Slade. He wasn't even moving from the spot, it was as if he were a statue. When the gorilla finally stopped its attack, it was breathing heavily in order to catch its breath. As it panted for the fifth time, Slade finally took a step forward.

"I believe a test is in order..." Slade remarked as he began a slow jog towards the green gorilla. It punched one more time at Slade, but he blocked it aside, like food he didn't order with one hand. Leaping into the air, he did a backwards kick, which landed hard on the gorilla's face. The gorilla was flown backwards, and Cyborg and Starfire stepped forward to catch him.

"The greatest thing about this new armor is that it not only boosts my defense, but my offensive power as well. With this, I am able to block every single one of your attacks while providing me with the offensive surge needed to finish off all off...I hope you're prepared..." Slade held out his right arm as he finished speaking. Part of his new armor was liquefying again, and it came to his hand in a very thin form. It extended and came to a halt, revealing the form of a spear.

"Now...let's go!" Slade bellowed out as he charged at all five.

"Titans...Go!" Robin pointed at Slade as all five charged once again. He pulled out his bo-staff as the others took off in every direction. Cyborg's arm changed to his sonic cannon and began firing blasts at Slade. Starfire's eyes started glowing green as she too unleashed her own barrage of starbolts. Raven's eyes too started glowing, as she began chanting "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Several nearby antennas were pulled up from their respected ceilings and came together. Beast Boy changed once more, this time into a T-Rex as it roared loudly and charged.

If Starfire and Cyborg's attacks were having any effect at all, it was not showing. Despite being hit countless times by sonic cannon blasts and starbolts, he continued to charge. He leaped forward and rolled underneath the snapping jaw of the green T-Rex, going right underneath the stomach. As he came forward, he leaped onto the green dinosaur's tail, and used it as a trampoline as it raised its tail from the shock. High up into the air, Slade hurled his spear straight at Starfire, who managed to just avoid it by moving to the side. Then, something unexpected happened. The spear acted as a boomerang and came back to Slade's hand, just in time to interrupt Robin as he came down with his bo-staff. Robin had to take a step backwards to avoid the spear, and Slade took advantage. He reached forward, grabbed hold of Robin's shirt, and hurled him towards Raven, who was having a hard time trying to find an opening to attack.

"You're going to pay for that one, Slade!" Cyborg charged forward and started his own personal assault of various punches and kicks. Slade nimbly avoided all of them and with one palm strike to the chest, caused an end to Cyborg's assault. The green dinosaur changed into a ram as it started to charge straight at Slade.

Slade back flipped to avoid the charging ram, as Starfire now was the one who charged inward. Her first few punches were easily avoided, but Slade was caught with a solid right hook to the side of his head as he stepped backwards from the blow. Starfire continued as she seized the opportunity. Another right hook, left jab to the stomach, rising kick to the temple, each attack caused him to take another step backwards, but it was relatively unclear whether or not they were having any significant effect. As Starfire threw another punch, Slade was able to gain control once again. He grabbed hold of her arm before she could connect and spun her around before slamming her head into the ground. He did a few back flips to avoid Raven's metal antennas and Robin's own exploding discs.

As he finished his third flip, he lunged forward, brushing past Robin and straight towards Raven. Her eyes widened as all her remaining antennas under her control bounced off his body as he darted straight for her. He attempted a punch straight at her head, but she put up a shield. Slade stopped his punch in mid-air, causing Raven to gasp as her shield faded out. He reached forward, pulled her cloak over her eyes and punched her straight in the gut. Coughing loudly, he finished his assault on her by leaping into the air and kneeing the back of her head.

Beast Boy changed again into a hawk, which was trying to pick at the armor of Slade. Slade tried several times to use his spear to poke at the bird, but because of its flight ability, he was unable to land a direct blow. Robin leaped in and tried several hard kicks and punches of his own. Each one felt like he was punching a steel wall.

"Enough of this!" Slade shouted out as he held out his hand at the bird. Several more small goops of the metallic substance came flying out and splattered all over the green bird, causing it to fall from the sky. Robin reached into his belt and pulled out an exploding disc.

"Let's put that new armor of yours to the test, Slade..." Robin tossed the disc very lightly towards Slade as he punched at the same time. Robin's fist hit the disc at the same instant it was about to hit Slade. The resulting shock wave knocked Robin backwards several yards as he allowed the explosion to run its course. From the flames, he saw Slade's arm come out as it grabbed hold of his shirt. _No way..._

An uppercut to Robin's jaw, followed by a spinning kick to the right side of his head knocked Robin off his feet as he landed hard right beside the others, who were recovering from blows of their own.

"Do you see now? The power I now possess is stronger than any of you possess. No matter how long it takes, I will see to it that today we reach your inevitable conclusion..." Slade finished speaking by laughing loudly in the air, as Cyborg and Raven helped Robin sit up.

**Meanwhile, on a Spaceship heading towards Earth...**

"General, we shall be arriving in Earth's galaxy within the week..." A Gordanian bowed to its leader as he finished giving his report.

"Excellent, I think we've allowed the Troq to elude capture for long enough, " Koteamine, the General of the Gordanian fleet started, "and it's high time we show the people of the planet Earth what happens to those foolish enough to lend a hand..."

"Sir..." The Gordanian stood up and saluted his general before leaving the ship's bridge.

BEEP...BEEEP

"Sir, incoming transmission from the palace..." Another Gordanian at the console reported.

"Patch it through.." Koteamine ordered.

"Yes, sir..." With the push of another button, the communication line was opened.

"General Koteamine, I bring news from the Emperor. He wishes to know the current progress as well as if you understand his objectives and intentions..." Another Gordanian voice came from the other end.

"Tell the Emperor not to worry. We shall be arriving within Earth's galaxy by the end of the week. Everything will be done according to his wishes, that is why I was sent to take care of the matter personally..." Koteamine answered, very irritated of the interruption.

"Additionally, it seems that the Tamaranian fleet has detected your presence while passing through one of their sentry positions. Should we send an additional fleet to provide you with back up?" The voice continued.

Koteamine laughed out loud as his tail hit the ground, causing a small crater on the ship's floor.

"I fear nothing from the Troq's home world. I shall do my job, and nothing will stand in my way. Plus, we have the new weapon that research and development gave us from the Earthling known as Warp. I myself am looking forward to testing it..." Koteamine replied, now very pleased with himself.

"Understood. Over and out, may you bring glory to the Gordanian kingdom once more, General Koteamine..." And with that, the communication line ended.

"Helmsman, I want no delays in reaching our destination, understood?" Koteamine turned towards the helmsman, another Gordanian who was piloting.

"Yes, Sir!" The reply came back.

_Just wait for me, you pathetic Troq scum...I'll send you and those who helped you to a place far worse than death itself...hahahahahaha!_

**Back on Earth, with the battle between Slade and the Teen Titans...**

"If anybody's got any ideas, I'd love to hear them right about now..." Cyborg stated, as he looked around at his fellow Titans. Even though they had Slade outnumbered, he had easily overpowered all of them. Their own unique gifts and skills had proven ineffective, for his new armor was something to be desired.

"Dudes, am I the only one not digging the new Slade?" Beast Boy asked, who was holding his injured arm.

"Not now, Beast Boy..." Raven answered. She too was aching from her bruises.

"Slade's defenses are impenetrable, we need to get around it somehow..." Raven finished as she looked over to Robin, who was silently thinking.

"Yeah, but what? Individually, we don't stand a chance..." Cyborg answered.

Robin's eyebrows raised for a split second. _Individually, we don't, but maybe...it's a long shot, and only a theory at this point, but..._

"I have a plan, but it will require everyone's cooperation..." Robin announced to the group, as Slade knocked Starfire out of the sky and back towards the others with a solid punch to her stomach.

"Listen up, everyone, here's what I want you to do..." Robin stated as Slade smirked to himself, watching closely as Robin's lips moved.

"Dude..."

"No way..."

"No comment..."

"You mustn't!"

Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg each expressed his or her own concern towards Robin's plan. One, they weren't sure it was going to work. Two, it was just a theory in which has never been tested before. And three, there was no guarantee that Robin would live to see the end of the day.

"I'm asking all of you, please trust me on this..." Robin started, "If we don't combine our powers right now, then Slade will end up winning...now will you help me?"

There was silence amongst the entire group. Slade stopped and awaited for the Titans to make their next move. Beast Boy and Cyborg were the first to speak up.

"Ok, we'll do it." Cyborg started as Beast Boy hoped on his shoulder, "Just make sure you come back, it's your turn to do the dishes this week..."

"Yeah...wouldn't want to miss that..." Robin smirked at the two of them, then over to Raven. She waited a long moment before she too nodded her head silently.

Robin then turned his attention to Starfire. He reached with both hands around his neck, picked up his necklace and gave it to her.

"I'm going to want it back, just as soon as we finish here, ok?" He said very calm, it wasn't very reassuring, but finally, she too nodded, with tears almost coming to her eyes.

"Right then...Let's do it!" Robin exclaimed as Starfire and Cyborg took their places behind them. Beast Boy took the front and Raven stood right by Robin. Slade was leaning up against a small tower.

"I hope that little meeting of yours was to say your prayers. It ends now, Titans..." Slade spoke defiantly, as he made a sword out of his metallic armor. Taking an offensive pose, he charged at all five once more.

"Now!" Robin shouted out as he took out an exploding disc. Beast Boy transformed into a Stegosaurus and Raven began chanting, "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

Robin's entire body became covered by the dark energy of Raven. The green Stegosaurus used its tail to whip the back of Robin as he was flung forward at a great speed towards Slade. Extending his body to be like an arrow, Robin held out his hand with the disc, using it as a target. Starfire fired her starbolt while Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon. Both blasts intertwined with one another as they connected with Robin's disc. Then, something truly extraordinary happened. Slade's eyes widened as Robin's disc, Starfire's starbolts and Cyborg's sonic cannon blast intertwined with one another around his entire body. He himself was using his own body as a weapon, just as he was.

"Fine! If that's the way you want to play it!" Slade stabbed at the combined attack of all five Titans, and as the two touched each other, a grand explosion took place. The swirling explosions of Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire, caused a huge shock wave which blew everybody backwards several yards. Beast Boy and Cyborg fell off the buildings, to which Raven pulled aside using her power. Starfire needed roughly 30 feet before she could regain her composure. The blast was truly magnificent. Everyone stood silently as they let the blast run its course. When the smoke finally subsided, the remaining Titans looked for any sign of life. To the surprise of everyone, there wasn't any sign of anybody, neither Slade, or Robin. There was just a huge pile of debris, and there was no telling whether or not either one had survived, or died.

There was silence in the air, as they all waited to see if there were any signs of life. A small pebble from the top of the debris field fell down and bounced along the rocks before a crackling noise was heard. Starfire's eyes lit up as she saw the remains of a black cape stand up through the debris. Robin turned around, he had many new visible injuries, but he was alive. He turned and gave a thumbs up to the group. They had done it, the Teen Titans had won.

"The Dragon's Fire Blast, not a bad name, eh?" Robin asked as Starfire put his arm over her to help him remain standing.

"We're done here, let's go home..." Robin commanded to everyone. He looked back and everyone was smiling. They all knew that things were finally going to get better.

_After a devastating attack which required all five Titans, Slade, the Teen Titans greatest nemesis, has fallen. As the Gordanians prepare to move towards Earth, the Teen Titans at the very least, have earned some very much earned time off._

_Next Time, Chapter 3 - Fallout and Celebration_

_The Teen Titans take some much needed time off. Unbeknownst to them all, the Gordanian fleet continues to approach. Starfire and Robin's relationship evolves further, but another person's call to the Titans threatens their eternal bond. You definitely won't wanna miss it!_

**Author's Note: I apologize for the tardiness of getting this chapter done. I was having a very hard time developing a suitable storyline, the original version needed to be changed dramatically, but the new version is something I'm excited about writing, which is good news for those who enjoy my stories. As always, thank you for reading my story.**


	4. Chapter 3: Fallout and Celebration

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading up to this point. Reviews are always appreciated, so whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints with me. **_

**Legend - **

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_After a devastating attack which required all five Titans, Slade, the Teen Titans greatest nemesis, has fallen. As the Gordanians prepare to move towards Earth, the Teen Titans at the very least, have earned some very much earned time off_

**Chapter 3 - Fallout and Celebration**

News traveled quickly in the underground that the Teen Titans had finally defeated their greatest adversary, Slade. Several villains stayed clear of causing trouble, and so Jump City was left to be a peaceful place, at least for the time being. This new period of calm was a breath of fresh air to the Teen Titans, and they were all thoroughly enjoying their time away from the battlefield.

The city mayor had honored the Teen Titans in a recent ceremony, with loads of paparazzi trying to get the latest scoop between Robin and Starfire. First, there was a rumor about the two breaking up, followed by a possible engagement. Undeterred, the paparazzi tried making other claims, such as a cheating scandal and even a possible pregnancy. All of the hype surrounding the two of them was relatively new to Starfire, Robin had some experience dealing with them back in Gotham City. Eventually, it took the entire team to explain to her how the paparazzi worked. The important thing for her to remember was how she felt about him.

It was only two days since the battle with Slade, and Raven was taking full advantage of the time. She was in a plaza, a group of stores on the end of a corner. This particular one was suited more for those with a different taste in life. There was a dark, murky cafe which was always playing depressing music. Right next door was an old shop selling creepy artifacts and books about occults and alike. Nearby was an all organic food supply store, to which she enjoyed the occasional herbal tea. Today, however, Raven found herself in the occult shop, browsing through the bookcases, picking out several which interested her. She pulled down a book about a Middle Ages cult group looking for the Holy Grail, scanned through several pages, then placed it back. Instead, she picked out several books about the investigation into cult symbols and their meanings and proceeded to checkout.

Cyborg was also making good use of the time. He had been featured on several late night talk shows in the area, promoting the new Youth Football and Baseball leagues, sponsored entirely by himself. Additionally, he had been given special permission by some of the latest car developers to try out the latest turbo engine, which he installed in the T-Car. Between facing off against Beast Boy in video games and his volunteer work, Cyborg was rarely seen. He was enjoying giving something back to the community. Letting others have the chance to play sports as he once did gave him deep satisfaction.

Beast Boy was usually found lounging around in the Tower. He kept regular contact with Mas y Menos, the two Spanish-speaking members of Titans East, as all of them were regular video game fanatics. Often times, he would be seen challenging them online, but because of the language barrier, he often found himself confused and usually lost to the dynamic duo, who were always asking something about Starfire. In between, Beast Boy found himself checking out the latest movies, he was most recently seen in the public eye at the premiere of the latest scary movie, which was said to be one of the best yet.

Normally, Robin would have been alone in the War Room of the tower, making preparations and ensuring that his city was safe. On this day, however, even he couldn't resist taking another trip into the city and to Starfire's favorite place, the mall. He had been careful in telling Starfire to keep certain things private, as he did not want to see another situation unfold as it did with the Umbringer brothers, and Starfire agreed as well. Sometime between their last visit together, someone had found out that Robin wore a ring around his neck, and it was the hot topic of most of the town. Robin initially had thought that there might be the possibility that some of the girls would leave him alone now, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Even more women wanted to get to know him, Robin often found himself on the cover of several magazines, although he had never given any of them permission. Additionally, he tried to stay out of the public's eye because some girls were rather forward, and that was bad news for both him and the ladies in question when Starfire found out. On more than one occasion, Robin found himself intervening between Starfire and a random girl. This was the life the two shared now, as the public grew quite interested when they found out Starfire had shopped several times in a lingerie store.

Still, despite everything that was going around them, their relationship had never been stronger. Although many people knew about her bracelet and Robin's ring, nobody knew what was inscribed underneath both of the items, "_As long as we're together, we can overcome anything_". This simple saying, one that had given both of them renewed confidence and strength in each other countless times, was something that was still supporting them. Arthur Umbringer's chocolate store was now replaced by a salon which specialized in taking care of people's nails. It was run by a very small Vietnamese family who were trying to live out the American dream. The shop was filled with all kinds of colors for which ladies could choose to have put on after a manicure. On this day, Starfire was quite enjoying herself, conversing in fluent Vietnamese with the female staff. Several times, her cheeks changed colors, but the paparazzi waiting could not understand the conversation going between them, so most followed Robin as he was shopping from a small list of personal items for himself.

He stopped inside the bookstore, which contained a small coffee shop. This place was the only one in Jump City where one could find papers from all across the United States. Robin traditionally picked up two, one from Jump City, the other from Gotham. He paid for a medium sized latte and the two newspapers as he continued to move onward to his next destination, Jerry's Auto Store. Pulling out a list of supplies, he handed it to the clerk, who examined the list.

"Man, you really need to take better care of your bike, or one day it's really going to fall apart on you..." Jerry, the owner of the store, commented as he pulled down an item which resembled brake wiring. Putting it all into a bag, he handed it to Robin as they both bid each other farewell.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, Jerry." Robin responded as he walked out of the store. Several flashes from the paparazzi's cameras caught glimpses of him as he left the store. The town had made it a law to forbid any news media inside a store, which was a special favor to the Teen Titans as they progressed through their everyday lives.

As Robin stepped off the rising escalator to the third floor of the mall, where the food court was, his eyes came upon a family. A father, mother, and young son were talking to each other. The young boy was telling his parents that he wanted to become just like Batman. The young boy's eyes then came across Robin, who he ran towards before his mother could stop him.

"Wow...are you Robin?" The young boy asked very excited. He was wearing a Batman and Robin T-shirt. Robin, however, did not answer him.

"I saw you on T.V. 2 years ago when you and Batman captured Two-Face! That was so cool!" The young boy was still admiring Robin when his parents finally caught up to him.

"Now, now, Timmy, where are your manners?" The mother spoke as she scolded her son.

"Come on, we should get going." The father replied as he looked at his watch. The mother grabbed her son's hand as all three walked away.

Robin silently purchased a cheeseburger and soda from a local vendor and found himself a seat. Starfire had asked for the two of them to meet again there, and she came up the escalator roughly ten minutes later. She had with her something which struck Robin a bit odd, as hanging on her forearm was a small purse. She smiled and waved to him as she got closer and took a seat opposite of him. She held out her right hand as she blew her fingernails, they were painted a light red, almost pink color. Robin's eyes rolled once as he sipped his drink, he was really glad his mask could hide those at the very least.

"Is that everything you need here, Star?" Robin asked as he finished eating. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and put all the trash into a bag before throwing it away in the disposal unit. She nodded silently as both of them started heading out.

As they reached the exit way, three young girls, all of them ranging in their early twenties came running up to the couple.

"Hey, Robin, would you mind signing me?" One of the girls handed him a sharpie as the other one asked.

"Uh..." Robin hesitated for a brief moment, but before he could answer, one of the young girls stuck out her chest, urging him to sign on the white T-shirt lump. Immediately, Robin felt sweat coming down the side of his face as he heard a thundering boom from beside him. Then, everything happened very quickly and before Robin knew what had happened, he was leaving with Starfire, while the three young girls shouting back at him.

"Earth women are very forward here, I am angrier than a Glumplor!" Starfire complained as the pair made their way to Robin's bike. He pushed a button on his belt as the bike became unlocked of its security features and revealed two helmets from the compartment. He picked them both up, and handed one to Starfire.

"Forget about them, let's go home..." Robin spoke as he mounted his bike. Starfire puffed one last time as she put the helmet on herself and grabbed around his stomach. His body's warmth instantly washed away all current thoughts, as the bike revved once before it took off back towards the large T shaped tower on a small island in the bay.

**Meanwhile, back at Titan's Tower...**

Raven was levitating about six inches above the ground. Her legs were crossed as she meditated. Ever since her battle with Malchior in the mountainous region where the team had fought off the Umbringer brothers, Raven was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate her power. Her cloak flashed white on several occasions, but it had been holding in longer periods ever since. Her power was definitely rising, but the control over it was a different matter. Her eyebrows twitched several times on this occasion with her eyes shut hard. Dark energy started shooting from her body like dark lightning. Her mind wasn't able to focus, as she was reliving the last battle.

_"Foolish girl, you cannot hope to defeat me..." Malchior threw Raven up against the wall as he finished speaking. She crashed into it and slid down to the floor. Opening her eyes, the dragon's mouth was open and fire shot from it directly at her. Firing back with her own dark energy, she couldn't stop the flow of the fire, as a combination of her own power and fire struck her. Raven fell down on her face, her body singed from the fire and her blue cloak had holes everywhere on it. The pain of being struck by her own attack in addition to Malchior's was excruciating. It was so overwhelming that she felt herself black out. It was right there, that something unexpected to her happened._

_Raven felt herself being pulled, not her body, but her spirit. She felt her spirit being transported to a different place. She felt herself land on something soft, almost as if it were a cloud. Then, she heard someone else's voice, someone who she never would have expected to hear in the spiritual realm._

_"Get up, Raven!" It was Beast Boy. She couldn't explain how, nor did she know why it was him who had taken form. It was, however, unmistakingly him, though who was shouting at her, trying to encourage her to face the crisis at hand._

_"Go away!" She tried shouting, but wasn't quite sure whether or not she had actually said it. Regardless, Beast Boy had ignored it, and instead, helped her up to her feet._

_"You can't sleep now. It's time you released your power." Beast Boy was unusually calm and composed, she wasn't entirely sure, but it seemed that his voice also gave her strength._

_"What do you mean, release my power?" Raven was very confused. She had just released all the power she had against Malchior's blast, but the difference in their powers was still far too great. She knew her powers had improved, but Malchior was still in a completely different class. Yet, at the same time, she knew Beast Boy wasn't lying._

_"For some time, your inner strength has been swelling up...it's time to finally release it.." Beast Boy responded as the two looked at each other. She was finally on her own two feet, and left to contemplate what he had just said. Her inner strength has been swelling up? Could such a thing even be possible? She wasn't quite sure how she could obtain more power, but there was one thing she was definitely sure of while listening to Beast Boy's words. She knew she could stop Malchior. _

_Raven closed her eyes and began to concentrate, to feel the source of her power which was given to her by her father Trigon, as well as her mother, a member of the planet Azeroth. At first, she couldn't feel any more power than what she originally had. Pressing further, she finally found it. A seemingly unlimited supply of spiritual power was left untapped. For some reason, she didn't know why she could now finally see it. On one hand, she felt very scared at the tremendous power that lay asleep. However, in order to defeat Malchior and save her friends, she knew what she would have to do. Raven pushed harder as the power finally was released inside of her. She felt stronger than she ever had previously, her blue cloak flashed white several times before it finally blew open into a blinding white light, and her cloak was white._

Raven gasped as she opened her eyes suddenly. Several small vases around her room fell from their resting places and crashed onto the floor. She could feel part of the same power she had used in the fight against Malchior, but she was unable to hold onto it. Panting several times, she was finally able to relax, as she felt her power returning to its normal state.

Sitting up and leaning against the wall, Raven was left alone to think. _That power...how was I able to control it back then? There's still so much I still don't understand..._

Then, it happened. For a split second, Raven thought she felt another presence. Something so strong it made her sweat. Something very powerful, something very evil, was on its way. _No, I'm probably just overreacting..._

With several more deep breaths, she began meditating once more.

"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos...Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos...Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos..." Raven chanted very softly. The meditation was working its course.

_"Hahahahaha...everything is going according to plan!" _

Raven gasped once more. She knew that wasn't a coincidence then. Something was definitely coming, but she couldn't tell when, or where. Sighing once more, she closed her eyes and tried concentrating again on the image...

**Back in the living room of the Tower...**

"Boo ya! I win again, B.!" Cyborg was dancing up and down, while Beast Boy was seething about his latest loss to Cyborg. He was clutching the Game Station's controller hard, he had apparently lost...again.

"One more, I know I can win this time!" Beast Boy shouted back.

"Dude, we could do it a hundred times and you still would be a loser!" Cyborg grinned at his friend as he held up a thumb at him, "Unfortunately, I think that's it for me for the day..."

"One of these days, the shoe's going to be on the other foot..." Beast Boy whined once more before turning off the Game Station.

"Yeah, right...The day you beat me is the day I eat your tofu stuff without complaining!" Cyborg laughed to himself heavily as he headed to the kitchen. He pulled out several dozen cheeseburgers from the fridge and made his way over towards the community table. He had not finished the third one before Starfire and Robin came walking through the sliding doors.

"I take it you won again, Cyborg?" Robin asked, looking from Cyborg and then over to Beast Boy, "You only eat that many cheeseburgers after you've crushed him."

"He got lucky!" Beast Boy shouted out without looking back at the pair. Starfire flew over towards her green friend and padded him on his back.

"It will be alright, friend Beast Boy. For one day it is you who shall be kicking the butt in the games of video!" Starfire said with a smile on her face. Beast Boy simply sighed heavily, as he retreated back to his own living quarters.

Robin took the opportunity and hopped onto the couch, leaving the items from the mall beside him. He grabbed the remote control, and turned on the television. Flipping through several channels, he came across a local commercial. It was the local news, and they were advertising a new promotion for Club Zero, trying to entice many new people. Club Zero was the newest and hottest club in Jump City. Anybody who was anybody went there to relax and enjoy themselves. It was a place for all the youth of the city to gather and mingle. This particular promotion was for couples, two people were granted admission for the price of one, as long as they were a couple.

"That's right, you young folks, come as a couple and pay for only one! So what are you waiting for? Come down to Club Zero and experience the latest music from the hottest artists of today. You're out of excuses not to come!" A young male and female, obviously paid actors who were promoting the event, finished off the advertisement before Robin flipped through once more. Then, he felt a hand as it touched his shoulder.

"No, Starfire..." Robin spoke without looking. Starfire reacted a bit perplexed, as she frowned slightly.

"You don't even know what I was going to say..." She began to speak, but Robin shook his head slightly.

"You wanted to go to Club Zero, tonight, am I right?"

Starfire took a step backwards, he apparently did know what she was going to say.

"I was going to run a sweep of the city tonight, I really don't have time to go." Robin started as he flipped through a popular cooking show, "plus I'm still not a big fan of dancing..."

Starfire remained silent for a moment, then remembered something he had promised her not too long ago.

"You promised me that we would go! I will not accept any excuses this time! We're going tonight!" She said as she stomped her foot into the ground.

"Star...I thought I said..." Robin started, as the two began a disagreement

**Five minutes later...**

Starfire was beaming once more. She flew back towards her own living quarters as she spun around.

"Don't forget, we're leaving at 8!" She giggled to herself several times before she vanished out of sight.

"How did that happen?" Robin asked to no one in particular. He was standing now, and wondering what went wrong. Cyborg, who had been listening, walked over and patted him on his back.

"Simple, man. Starfire wanted to go, you didn't. So you guys compromised and now you two are going..." Cyborg could barely hold himself back from laughing as he answered his friend's question.

"Great...how did this happen...?" Robin asked, defeated.

"Oh, that one's easy. You got involved with someone, and that's what happens..." Cyborg said as he now was laughing. He headed up the small set of stairs up to his own living quarters before turning around, giving Robin's a thumbs up and laughing hysterically all the way back to his own room.

**Meanwhile, inside the Gordanian ship...**

"General, Sir! We have just entered planet Earth's solar system!" A Gordanian co-pilot announced.

"Excellent...the time for Earth's reckoning is at hand...very soon, the Troq, her friends, and that pathetic planet shall all face the complete wrath of the Gordanian fleet!" Koteamine responded as he acknowledged the report.

"Sir, might I offer a suggestion?" One of the Gordanians had stepped forward and bowed as he spoke.

"What is it, Corporal?" Koteamine asked, his attention partially divided.

"Sir, it's just that I believe we should toy around with the Earth creatures before we commence the final phase of the plan. After all, general, it's been so long since you've even seen battle. Allow myself and a small group of men to introduce the Gordanians through surprise attacks and assassinations first. We cannot rule out the possibility of claiming another planet for the Emperor, after all." The young Gordanian corporal responded. He was easily half the size of Koteamine, but continued to bow as he awaited Koteamine's response.

"Very well then, Corporal. I shall allow you to first taste glory on that pathetic planet." Koteamine responded, his arms crossed as the ship passed by Pluto.

"Thank you, general!" The young Gordanian bowed further before he made an attempt to stand up.

"Oh, and one more thing, Corporal..." Koteamine's voice echoed back as the Gordanian turned around. As he did, he saw Koteamine's tail whip back as it knocked him square in his face.

"Never, ever question me again. You are in no position at all to ever offer me suggestions, is that understood?" Koteamine asked, there was a tone of viciousness to his voice.

"Yes, general. My apologies..it will never happen again..." The young corporal Gordanian bowed once more before retreating.

"Make sure it doesn't. Next time, I will kill you personally." Koteamine responded as he turned his attention back towards the ship's current path, with the young corporal reeling back into the depths of the ship...

_As the Gordanian fleet enters the solar system, Raven has an ominous feeling about their presence. As Starfire and Robin head out once more to Club Zero, will any of them be prepared for the attack of the Gordanian fleet?_

_Next Time: Chapter 4 - Dancing with Starfire_

_Starfire shows off an elegant side never before seen by Robin. Ruthless plans are set in motion, as dark clouds continue to gather without a sound. You definitely won't want to miss it!_


	5. Chapter 4: Dancing with Starfire

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

Additionally, this chapter contains several song titles. I do not own "Forever Young" by Symbol and "Heaven" by DJ Sammy, or any of its own Producers, Affiliates and/or Sponsors.

_**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm going to try something that's relatively difficult to do in this chapter. Writing and incorporating individual song titles has proven to be a more difficult task than I had originally anticipated. Regardless, I would like to know how I did. As always, thank you for reading up to this point. Reviews are always appreciated, so whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints with me. **_

**Legend - **

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections, songs in background.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_As the Gordanian fleet enters the solar system, Raven has an ominous feeling about their presence. As Starfire and Robin head out once more to Club Zero, will any of them be prepared for the attack of the Gordanian fleet?_

**Chapter 4 - Dancing with Starfire**

Robin set down his shopping bags on his bed. He had just finished putting away them all and was taking a short breather on his bed. He glanced over at his bedside table, where his alarm clock read the time. He had only an hour and a half to get ready, and he still hadn't eaten anything. His stomach growling slightly, he walked over to his short fridge at the other side of the room. He had bought one a month ago after Starfire began spending her nights with him. It was a relatively good idea, as neither had to go back and forth to the kitchen if they were ever hungry. He pulled out two pieces of cold pizza and began eating.

_Let's see..eat, shower, shave, then dress properly..._

Robin thought silently to himself as he took another chunk out of a slice of pepperoni. He finished it off with some flavored sparkling water and walked over towards his bathroom. Turning the handle, Robin walked straight into the door.

"Oww...What the...?" Robin tried turning the handle again, but found that it was locked. He pressed his ear to the door and heard the shower going. _Oh for Pete's sake..._

Robin pounded on the door several times, but no one ever answered back. Sighing in defeat that Starfire could not hear him, he instead walked over to his closet and opened the door. Flipping on the switch, he shook his head at the realization that his closet was now almost completely taken over as well. There were purple boots, short skirts, tank tops, as well as other various kinds of dresses and fashion all over the closet. Sifting through all of it, he eventually found what he was looking for. Inside, was a small cabinet which contained most of his civilian clothing. He pulled out a long-sleeved blue collared shirt, black slacks with matching shoes and socks, and a brown jacket. He looked around for a black belt, found it buried under a mountain of different colored ones Starfire had bought and closed the closet door. _I really need to talk to her about this..._

Since his own restroom was preoccupied, Robin was forced to use the common bathroom. It was located in the main hall and was mainly used by Beast Boy, since it was a shorter distance from the kitchen to the bathroom rather than his own. Robin flipped on the light switch, the bathroom was relatively clean, which surprised Robin to a certain degree. Beast Boy was notoriously known for his messes that he kept around, yet the bathroom was in relatively excellent condition. He bent down and picked up a towel from underneath the sink and hung it by the vanity. He locked the door and turned on the shower, allowing the hot water to start flowing. _Maybe it won't be as bad as I think it will be..._

**7:30 p.m.**

Robin had just finished gelling his hair when he glanced down at his watch. His necklace with a gold ring attached was still on the sink. He was still relatively early, Starfire had told him to meet her at 8. He picked up his necklace and silently wrapped it around his neck. The gold ring shined brightly in the light, it almost seemed to dance to a song less tune. Clenching it with his right hand, he recalled how the ring had come into play...

_"What's this for?" Robin asked as Starfire was digging her foot into the ground. _

_"Today ... is the same day that I came to Earth and met you. I wanted you to have this as a token of that day." Starfire beamed at him._

_Robin held up a shining silver ring. There was special engraving on the inside, it read "we can overcome anything". It was something else to behold, yet he could tell that this was something that would never be thrown away...never._

He didn't let anybody else know, but this ring was very important to him. After all, it had not only saved his life in his fight against Madam Rouge, he seemed to feel stronger when he wore it. He couldn't explain why, but it just seemed to keep him alive, something which was never guaranteed in this line of work.

Robin put on his mask and examined his selection of clothing. Satisfied with his appearance, he tossed the towel into the dirty hamper, unlocked the door, and headed out to the common room.

The common room was empty, to Robin's surprise. He set down his jacket on the couch and plopped down onto it. Sighing, he debated whether or not to turn on the television, then decided against it as the time of departure was closing. In the background, Robin wasn't sure whether or not he could hear soft humming echoing from his own room. Before he could get a clear tune, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He turned to the doorway as they got closer, and raised an eyebrow as the figure came into the light.

Starfire emerged from the darkness of the hallway, dressed to say the least, fashionably well. Dressed in a purple blouse with several ruffles, a black leather short skirt with matching heels and completing her outfit was a black leather jacket. She left her hair relatively the same, except she had decided to curl several strands of her hair on the side. She blushed slightly as she smiled at him, the gold bracelet she wore on her left wrist gave off a bright shine.

"Well...what do you think?" Starfire twirled once to give Robin a complete view.

Robin gave off a silent nod, which seemed to down Starfire's mood slightly. He picked up his jacket and put it on.

"You ready to go?" Robin asked, but Starfire was looking around, apparently looking for the other Titans.

"Where are the rest of our friends?' Starfire asked, a bit perplexed that Cyborg was not watching tv, Raven was not reading a book, or Beast Boy was not challenging Cyborg to game of the videos.

"I'm not really sure, but we should go. Zero tends to become crowded around 8:30, so if we don't leave now, we'll have to wait outside for a bit..." Robin reached into his pocket and pulled out his set of keys. He took a couple of steps towards the door, then stopped and turned around.

"Listen, Star...why don't you fly on over? Your hair's going to get thrashed on the way if you ride on the bike tonight." Robin pointed at her curled strands of hair as he finished.

Starfire thought silently for a minute, then nodded. She flew over and wrapped her arm around his as they made their way down to the parking garage.

**7:45 p.m., in a small apartment complex on the opposite side of town...**

A woman in her mid 30's was carrying several paper shopping bags. She made her way up the stairwell, with a small child following right behind her.

"Mommy, do I have to eat my vegetables?" The young little girl asked.

"Yes, dear, if you don't, then no dessert. I bought some strawberry shortcake, it's your favorite!" The mother responded. The little girl's face brightened as she heard her favorite dessert being mentioned.

"Really? Wow! Thank you, mommy!" The little girl exclaimed, obviously happy with the recent turn of events.

The young mother juggled the grocery bags as she tried to find the keys to her apartment inside her purse. Eventually finding them, she put the first key into the top lock. Turning several keys in their own appropriate places, the door finally opened and the two made their way into the apartment. As soon as the mother flipped the light switch to give them all some light, she dropped all of the grocery bags. The entire apartment was a complete wreck. Everything was either broken or destroyed. As the light illuminated in the living room, a reptilian creature sat up from the chair. It smirked slightly as its claws extended slightly.

The young girl let out a shriek as her mother instinctively picked her up. She turned around and tried opening the door, but it wouldn't open. She was too scared and couldn't turn the handle. The creature made one pounce and slashed the back of the mother. Blood came spewing out as she cried out in pain, her little daughter crying and shouting for the monster to stop...

**8:10 p.m., at Club Zero...**

Robin and Starfire just had the back of their hands stamped as they made their way inside Club Zero. Robin's last experience at this club was a forgetful one, as Kitten had blackmailed him into going once again. Starfire had saved the day by pointing out where the devices to control the army of insects. Yet, this time, he was here voluntarily...well, almost.

Club Zero had several different sections, it could be considered 6 or 7 clubs in one. There was a dancing section for each type of music imaginable, including a Karaoke section. Knowing the latest selection of music firsthand, they first made their way into the Top 40 section.

One look at the interior of Club Zero and that person could tell that this was not the type of club found in every place. The owners had spared no expense and literally had gone for broke with its design. The place was enormous, and the Top 40 section had 6 dancing floors, 15 bars, and at least 100 tables spread across three different stories. Flashing lights, a fog machine, and several mixing tables were just some of the perks included. The bottom floor contained the largest dancing stage by far, easily three times the size of the others. As both of them made their way in, the DJ's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"All right, you crazy cats out there! You ready to get this party started?" Several loud cheers and whistling followed his announcement.

"Then let's get it on! Here's something for all you couples out there! It's couples night, right here at Club Zero!"

_Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven..._

Starfire's eyes immediately lit up as the song started playing. Robin was still examining the large scene around him, trying to absorb everything into his brain. Without any warning, Starfire pulled him towards the dance floor. Soon, Robin found himself in the middle of a very large crowd, with everyone dancing all around him. Starfire did several twirls, popped her hips around several times and made playful gestures with her own hair. Motioning for him to join her, Robin barely had time to set his own rhythm when the first part of the song started. Starfire moved very close to him, and their faces were inches apart as she began singing as well.

_Hooo, thinking about our younger years,_

_there was only you and me._

_We were young, wild, and free!_

_Now nothing can take you away from me,_

_We've down that road before,_

_that's over now!_

_You keep me coming back for more..._

As the chorus began, Starfire backed off and started twirling around again. She held up her arms high in the air, fully enjoying the moment. Robin, initially feeling guilty that he had decided to skip a nightly tour, finally dropped his guard and danced with Starfire. He did several arm motions, mimicking several martial arts moves, yet most seemed to hold up well in this type of venue. Starfire also seemed to find relief in the fact Robin was enjoying himself as well. As the second verse started, Starfire moved closer once more, and spun around so her back was rubbing against his chest. She grabbed both of his hands and wrapped them around her as she continued singing with the song.

_Now, nothing can change what you mean to me..._

_That's a lot that I can say,_

_but just hold me now._

_Cause our love will light the way!_

As the chorus began once more, Robin felt a sudden jolt in his chest. This was much more important to Starfire than he had thought. Originally, he thought she was dragging him out again. Feeling a mixed feeling of guilt and affection, Robin continued to dance with the one person who made him feel that life was worth living. He had spent so much time catching people who wanted nothing more than to fill their own pockets that he had almost forgotten what life could feel like. A sense of refreshment surged through his body, and he was finally able to smile.

After a couple more songs, the two finally decided to retreat to a table, where some ice cold water was welcomed by both.

**8:45 p.m., back at the apartment complex...**

A young couple was bickering as they exited their own apartment. Their footsteps were hurried and rushed as they made their way down the stairs.

"I swear, you take _forever_ in there. What the heck are you doing in the bathroom? Making sure that every single eyelash matches?" The young male asked, a bit irritated.

"I had to do my hair! It wasn't right! Stop complaining! You used to think I was worth waiting for!" The girl responded back harshly.

"Yeah, you were, but after nine months of dating, you should be here by now!"

The two kept bickering and arguing as they made their way down the stairs. The young male stopped his girlfriend from proceeding any further when he noticed fresh blood at the apartment door in front of them.

"Don't stop me! I swear, you're always doing that!"

"Baby, call the police..." The young male's eyes moved towards the door, where he saw a hand stretched out the door, with blood flowing from the spot.

"Why? What's going on?" The young girl took refuge behind him, as both of them slowly made their way in front of the doorway. Their eyes met up with a young woman, in her mid 30's with four giant cuts on her back. The young man bent down to see if she was still breathing. Upon seeing no movement in her chest, his eyes caught something just further up. There was a little girl, not five feet from the other, who had similar slash marks, but these were much deeper. The blank look in her eyes scared the man. He didn't have much time to comprehend everything when he heard his girlfriend scream.

"Oh my God!" The young girl shrieked out in horror. She apparently had just taken everything in.

"Call 911, now!" The young man shouted back as he made his way towards the little girl. Using his middle and index fingers, he closed the young girl's eyes.

The young girl reached into her purse for her cell phone and started dialing. From within the shadows in the next room, a reptilian creature's eyes opened, its claws sharpened up once more.

**9:30 p.m., back at Club Zero...**

_Forever young, we're born to run!_

_Forever love and fun until the morning sun!_

_Forever young, we're all for one!_

_Forever love and fun until the morning sun..._

_Forever!_

Starfire and Robin were dancing once more. Pulling off a few good moves thanks to some training, They clenched each other's forearms as they moved in a circle. A new hit, "Forever Young", was playing, a tune which both of them knew and enjoyed.

_Come on baby let your body pump into the groove!_

_Shake your boogie feel the music, jumping like a fool!_

_I don't care I'm so excited, now I feel so free!_

_Paradise into your eyes so let it be!_

Robin was now the one taking charge, and he held Starfire close as the techno beat was quite contagious all around them. People all around them were dancing, the song playing had attracted many more people into the area. Robin was finding out that it was hard to gain any kind of movements, for the space available had shrunk considerably. Improvising, he cupped both of Starfire's cheeks with his hands as the next part of the song continued.

_All the time...I need your shining smile_

_Tonight I'm really going to play, you know_

_that life is just a game!_

Starfire felt quite warm with the actions taken. There could have been at least three thousand people inside, but to her, there wasn't anybody else around. She was enjoying the moment, with just Robin and herself. She rested her head on his shoulder, which allowed him to wrap his arms around her completely. This had to be happiness, she was sure of that. There was no other place she wanted to be but right there with him. She wished that time could stop, this moment was too perfect. As the song moved into its final chorus, she closed her eyes and silently thanked him for taking her to this place and time.

_Come on baby light my fire, ready for the show!_

_Now I feel your love desire, please don't ever go!_

_Crazy dance and sexy power, all I need is you!_

_Tonight I'll take you higher if you love me too!_

_Forever young, we're born to run!_

_Forever love and fun until the morning sun!_

_Forever young, we're all for one!_

_Forever love and fun until the morning sun..._

_Forever!_

The song ended with the largest ovation compared to any of the previous songs. The crowd cheered vibrantly, Starfire also cheered on. Robin simply smiled as he finally was able to take in the moment. He looked down at his watch and noticed his communicator's emergency lights were flashing. He pulled out the communicator and opened it. It was a 911 call, which was made at approximately 8:50, but with all the activity around him, he hadn't noticed the call. He walked out of the dancing arena and headed out to a hallway so he could listen in on the call.

Robin had made a deal with the local authorities upon the Titans' creation to patch through all emergency situations through to his communicator. The local authorities were more than happy to have his assistance, for his reputation largely helped the scenario. He pressed a few buttons on his communicator and held it up to his ear, very similarly to a phone.

_"911 dispatch, please state your emergency."_

_"Help! There's been a murder here at the Bridgeview Apartment Complex! There's blood everywhere! You have to send some help here quickly!"_

_"Ma'am, please calm down, and state that a bit more clearly. How many people are hurt?"_

_"Two, it looks like a mother and daughter. The blood is still relatively wet. It hasn't dried yet!"_

_"Ma'am, how many people are there with you?"_

_"Just me and my boyfriend, we were on our way down to Zero when we found them like this..."_

_"Ma'am, I need you two to wait down at the street, if the blood isn't dry yet, there's still a possibility that the killer is still in the building"_

_"What did you say?" A small pause followed this, and then a slashing noise is heard, followed by a loud scream of a male._

_"Ma'am, is everything ok?" Another scream followed, a loud thumping noise is heard, the girl must have dropped her phone. Robin could hear footsteps in rapid succession, but another shout followed as another slashing noises is heard. A loud thump is heard as the dispatcher continues to try and make sense of the situation._

_"Ma'am, are still there? Hello?" _

Robin flipped his communicator closed. His left hand was clenched in a fist, very hard and tight. He hated being proven wrong. If only he had gone out on a citywide search like he had intended, then this tragedy may not have happened. He did not have much time to dwell on it as Starfire came walking out towards him, her eyes showing concern.

"Robin, what is it?" She asked, very hesitantly. There was something wrong about the whole situation. Robin had his fist clenched, with his communicator on the verge of breaking as well.

"Trouble. Let's go." Robin put his communicator back into his pocket as he tore off his clothes, revealing his normal attire. He shook his head several times, his hair returning to its normal state. Starfire nodded and they both headed for the exit doors, their night cut abruptly short.

_A mysterious emergency call has Robin thinking the worst case scenario. What is this mysterious creature which has claimed the lives of several innocent people and does it have any connection to the Gordanian ship which has finally approached earth?_

_Next Time: Chapter 5 - Blood, Blood, Everywhere_

_The Teen Titans arrive at Bridgeview Apartments and catch a brief glimpse of the one responsible. Starfire receives a call from her sister, warning her of something that threatens to wipe them all out. You definitely won't want to miss it!_


	6. Chapter 5: Blood, Blood, Everywhere

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading up to this point. Reviews are always appreciated, so whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints with me. **_

**Legend - **

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_A mysterious emergency call has Robin thinking the worst case scenario. What is this mysterious creature which has claimed the lives of several innocent people and does it have any connection to the Gordanian ship which has finally approached Earth?_

**Chapter 5 - Blood, Blood, Everywhere**

The street surrounding the Bridgeview apartment complex was filled with police cars. Their flashing lights made it easy for Robin to see from a great distance on his motorcycle as both he and Starfire came closer. Robin slowed down upon seeing that the T-car parked in an alley besides the building. Waiting for them both were Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Robin stopped his bike completely and took off his helmet as Starfire landed right by him.

"You know the situation?" Cyborg asked in a very low tone. Robin remained silent as he looked up at the apartment complex.

"Which floor?" He asked, still in a calm tone and manner.

"5th, I talked with the police officers earlier and overheard them saying they were waiting for you as a special favor to the mayor. Apparently one of the victims was his niece." Cyborg responded. They all looked at Robin as he finished speaking.

"Ok, Cyborg and I will investigate the scene inside. Raven and Beast Boy will look through the rest of the apartment complex for anything that the killer left behind. Starfire, take to the skies and see if you can't find anything from up there." Everyone nodded and took off in their own separate directions as he finished speaking. Starfire gave Cyborg and Robin a lift up to the rooftop of the apartment complex to avoid the entrance before she took off to the skies. Slowly, Cyborg and Robin both started walking towards the entrance at the rooftop.

Cyborg's shoulder opened up to reveal a flashlight as he examined the entire rooftop.

"My scanner's not picking up anything out of the ordinary. I don't think whoever did this is still in the building." Cyborg looked around to find Robin slouched down at the ground. His flashlight shined on the ground where Robin was looking. There was a big void in the middle of the dust. Something quite large with only three toes had moved through the area, and Robin guessed that judging by the space and gap between footsteps, that it whatever it was, it was in a hurry. Robin followed the footsteps slowly as he saw a couple blood drops occasionally which led to the edge of the apartment complex's rooftop. The trial went cold there, so Robin reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small camera. He took several pictures of the footsteps before putting it away and rejoining Cyborg, who was still examining the first footstep with his robotic eye.

"I've finished scanning this footstep and it looks like whatever this thing was, it's at least 7 feet tall..." Cyborg explained to Robin. His robotic eye was able to calculate approximate heights using impressions, foot sizes, and even the space between footsteps.

"How many of them were inside?" Cyborg asked as Robin moved towards the door.

"I know of at least two. A mother and her young daughter. There's a good possibility that two more were also cut down mercilessly." Robin remarked as Cyborg stood up. They both made their way down the stairway until they both reached the fifth floor. They passed by many blood drops which led up to the rooftop, so the killer probably did escape from the rooftop.

The door to the fifth floor was kicked outward, as the metal door was split clear in two. _Whatever did this was strong. All of us can easily break a door, but this one was cut in two. _As Robin and Cyborg walked by the narrow hallway, several policemen were knocking on the neighbors' doors, trying to get their individual statements. Many residents nearby were shaking their heads, Robin overheard several say they weren't even around, others say they thought a television was a bit loud. Slowly, the two made the way to the door with the most activity, as over half a dozen officers were standing by the door. Each of them grew silent as they caught a glimpse of the two making their way over. One of the officers stepped forward to address the pair.

"We've got a quadruple here. Under orders from the Chief of Police and the mayor, it's been decided that the Teen Titans will help with this investigation..." The police officer pointed his finger at Robin and poked him several times before he continued, "But let's get one thing straight. I don't like you and even more, I don't like the fact that mere kids are involved in this. I'll be watching you every step of the way, just waiting for you to screw up..."

Robin said nothing as he moved past the officers and started making his way inside the apartment building. Cyborg gave a long glare at the group outside before he made his way inside as well. The apartment building had various little yellow signs, each one showing a pool or drop of blood, broken furniture and appliances, as well as white tape outlining where bodies once stood. Two coroners had just finished zipping up another one as they brushed past Robin and Cyborg without saying a single word. One officer, dressed in tan slacks with a white collared shirt, black tie and a grey overcoat turned around and walked up to Robin.

"I'm Chief of Police John Gordon. You may know my cousin, he's the Commissioner in Gotham." John Gordon introduced himself as he turned to fill Robin in on the situation.

"We've got us a slaughter here. The first two victims were a young mother and daughter. The second pair were innocent bystanders, they were calling for help when they too were cut down. There's several reasons why I asked for you guys. First is that my cousin gave me his complete confidence that you'd be able to figure out who did this and why with the minimal amount of further casualties..." John reached into his coat and pulled out several pictures. He handed them to Robin as he continued speaking.

"Whoever did this was one strong son of a bitch. Furthermore, I believe whoever did this wasn't human. You can tell by the cuts and depth of their wounds on the victims, which you now hold..." Robin took everything in while he looked over the photographs. The victims' bodies were scattered all across the room. It looked like there was no attempt to move them, and whoever did this left soon after. He handed the photographs to Cyborg to look over as he then addressed John.

John Gordon had similar characteristics to his cousin, but you wouldn't know they were related unless they told you so. John also had a square jaw and glasses, but he was clean shaven, and his hair hadn't turned white from age yet. He was also a thinner man, as his cousin probably outweighed him in muscle easily by over thirty pounds.

Cyborg finished examining the pictures and set them aside. He pushed a button on his arm as his focus turned primarily to his robotic eye. Using it, he scanned the entire area in a few seconds, then bent down and picked up something small.

"Do you think the victims were the targets of any one individual?" Robin asked.

"If it was, then the target would have been after the mother and daughter. The other two were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My hunch tells me they weren't, but my guys are double checking it just in case. From what we know right now, nobody had a problem with her, her credit is outstanding and her coworkers love her." John answered as he bent down slightly.

"We'll see what we can do from our end..." Robin reached into his utility belt and pulled out his communicator. He flipped it open and talked into it, "Robin here, report."

"Raven here, we struck out. Beast Boy managed to find a trace of it, but it only goes up to the fifth floor. We also found several flakes of what appears to be skin. We'll have to analyze them when we get back to the tower." Raven answered the relay and it cut out as she finished speaking.

"Friends, it is I, Starfire." Starfire was flying high above the city while she was holding her communicator. "I have been unable to locate anything that is not ordinary."

"That's ok, Star. Everyone meet back at the Tower. We'll try and piece things together there..." Robin closed his own communicator and turned to Cyborg, who gave a silent nod. Both of them started silently walking towards the exit.

"My cousin bet his own job that you would be able to help us..." John had started to speak, "I trust his words and am taking a huge gamble as well. I hope for your sake and ours that he's not wrong..."

Robin's cape wrapped around both of his arms. He looked back slightly, then turned and walked out the door.

It was a good hour before everyone made it back to the tower. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy were all waiting inside the living room. Beast Boy was even silent as Robin and Cyborg came walking through the sliding doors. Everyone directed their attention to Robin as the meeting began.

"Ok, let's start the time line. The first two victims were a young mother and daughter. According to the police reports as well as intel from the neighbors, they both had no enemies to speak of. The third and fourth victims were a young couple who were trying to call for help. It's believed at this time that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The cuts on all four victims were deep, at this time its doubtful that any human could have caused these kinds of bruises." Robin started the meeting right away, he put out photographs of each person in the apartment complex before their bodies were taken away.

Cyborg took a step forward with his own briefing, "Using my infrared scanner, I was able to find this..." Cyborg held out a small flaky like substance in the palm of his hand as he finished speaking.

"I've run a complete D.N.A. profile on it, and I didn't get a match on anything human. It's definitely a piece of skin, though. Weird thing is I think I've seen this somewhere before..." Cyborg finished his own report before he took a step back and allowed Raven to speak.

"Beast Boy and I found these as well..." Raven held out several additional flaky substances which she handed to Cyborg. Using his robotic eye, he scanned all of them before nodding.

"Perfect match. Whatever you guys found there we found in the room..." Cyborg pressed another button on his arm before speaking again.

"I'm broadening the database to see if its anything that we've ever come into contact with. It's a long shot, but..." Cyborg was interrupted when his robotic arm beeped several times.

"I've got a match. Bringing it up..." Cyborg took a small step backwards before he could finish, "No way..."

"What is it?" Robin immediately inquired.

"Starfire's old friends, the Gordanians. D.N.A. confirms it. It looks like they're back..." Cyborg punched his left hand with his right fist.

"But, why would they attack now?" Beast Boy spoke up for the first time in the meeting.

"It doesn't matter," Robin interrupted, "We've stopped them once, and we can stop them again..."

The Titans' main screen started to beep. Cyborg ran over to the computer terminal and punched in a few keys. The other Titans gathered in front of the large screen as a giant T came up on the screen.

"It's an incoming message, coming from the Titans' frequency. It's addressed to Starfire." Cyborg announced to everyone.

Starfire gave an approving nod to Robin before he motioned for Cyborg to bring it up on the screen. The giant T disappeared from the main screen, and Blackfire's image came up.

"Sister!" Starfire's eyes lit up brightly upon the sight of her sister, but Blackfire's face was as serious as any of them had ever seen.

"Hey, sis. Good, you're all here. I'm afraid I've got some bad news..." Blackfire began to speak.

"The Gordanians are back, and they're here on Earth. We just found out." Cyborg announced.

"Good, that saves me some time. When I first got the intelligence report of a Gordanian ship on its way, I thought it was originally taking the long way to get here to Tamaran. I never thought they'd go to Earth first though..." Blackfire's fist were clenched hard. She was apparently mad that she had guessed wrong.

"You didn't call us just for that, did you?" Robin inquired. His eyebrow was raised slightly, and everyone in the room was surprised by his statement as well, except for Raven.

"You know whose spaceship that was, don't you?" Raven finished Robin's train of thought. Blackfire paused for a moment before she started speaking again.

"I guess I can't hide anything from you guys. You're right, the intelligence report did say whose ship it was, but I had thought it just a mistake. The ship which is more than likely now on Earth belongs to the legendary general of the Gordanians, Koteamine..." Starfire gasped loudly and started to shake in fear as Blackfire continued.

"I'm guessing this Koteamine guy is one bad guy, right?" Beast Boy asked, but nobody answered him.

"Unlike Trogar who you defeated when Starfire first crash landed there, Koteamine's in a completely different class. His unit single handedly wiped out most of Tamaran's armies. There are stories of him alone killing many of the strongest fighters in the galaxy. His strength, skill, and abilities far outweigh anything you've ever seen before. It's mind boggling how strong he is. Starfire and I heard stories about his strength when we were still growing up. I cannot reemphasize his own power enough. Simply put, you don't stand a chance..." Blackfire finished explaining, as Galfore, Starfire's guardian on Tamaran also came to the screen.

"Kninorfka!" Starfire exclaimed, but Galfore was also wearing a serious face.

"Xal...I am one of the few people who knows Koteamine's true power. If the power of all five of you could stop a boulder, he could stop a continent. It would be most wise to run if you should ever come into contact with him..." Galfore explained.

"There have been several reports that the Gordanians are planning to strike Tamaran once more. Unfortunately, we cannot send you any reinforcements..." Galfore bowed at them all before he backed away to allow Blackfire sole control again.

"Based on what little intelligence we have been able to gather, Koteamine's unit also contains several of the toughest fighters from the Gordanian home world. It's mentioned of a corporal with significant power, but still meager when compared to Koteamine himself. If the Gordanians are planning to invade both of our worlds, it looks like we'll have the fight of our lives at hand..." Blackfire finished briefing the Titans, allowing them to ask questions.

"Do the Gordanians have any weaknesses? We need to know if there's anything we can do to prepare for them..." Raven was the first to ask a question.

"The Gordanians power lies in their strength in numbers, as well as their own physical power. Koteamine is the lone exception, excelling in both mental and physical characteristics. History has shown that those who are able to hold off them off are able to survive because one thing Gordanians lack is patience. You'll have to find some way to endure it..." Blackfire answered.

"We need to prepare for the worst should they decide to attack Tamaran. Don't worry about us, though, Tamaran has seen much worse and survived to be stronger than ever. We'll endure it somehow, just make sure you guys do too..." Blackfire's image disappeared from the screen, leaving all five Titans to ponder their options.

"We're going to need a plan..." Cyborg turned to Robin, who had his arms folded. He opened his eyes and reached for his own communicator.

"The first thing we need to do is ensure our network. Let all the Titans around the world know of the coming threat..." Robin commanded.

"Then what?" Beast Boy asked, a bit puzzled. Even if they knew of the threat, it wouldn't stop them.

"We take the fight to them..." Robin said as his eyes narrowed at the images of the people who lost their lives earlier. _For the sake of those innocent people, I won't let you get away with this!_

**Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the city...**

Two Gordanians were walking in a dark room, each carrying a spear. They came up to a closed door, with two guards standing on opposite sides. They all bowed to each other before the guards stepped out of the way, granting the first two entry. As the doors spun open, Koteamine, the Gordanian general stood looking at a flat screen.

"I have been monitoring the frequencies. You've caused a great deal of fear to creep into the humans' hearts. I am very pleased..." Koteamine said without turning his back. The two Gordanians bowed down to the ground as the one in front gave his own report.

"Thank you, general. I've done some research while on the surface, it appears the protectors of this city are a small group of humans, including the Troq who escaped from Trogar. I believe they will come looking for us now..." The Gordanian corporal answered his superior, his tone very pleased with himself.

"Excellent..." Koteamine turned completely around to address his troops before speaking out again, "I am looking forward to crushing them. With this new technology we received from the human filth known as Warp, we will be able to banish them across dimensions and time itself!"

"My lord, I feel obligated to ask, but why are we testing this technology on these simple humans? They are all physically weak, and they all lack spirit and strength..." The corporal asked in a somewhat bold manner. He did not want to upset his superior, but he wanted to ask the question. He gripped his left hand with his right, trying to stop it from shaking.

"Corporal, you still have much to learn..." Koteamine started, "That there are things far worse than death itself..."

The corporal bowed lower before he stood up and walked out of the room. He and the other Gordanian left the room to Koteamine, whose loud laugh and roar caused the entire structure to shake.

**Later that night, back at Titan's Tower...**

Robin was slouched down in his chair. He was resting his forehead, hiding his eyes in his left hand. The sliding doors opened from beside him as Starfire came walking through the door, carrying a tray with a bowl with hot soup, a glass of water, and the paper. She didn't say a single word as she walked over and sat the tray down onto the table besides him. Robin remained silent as she then moved and sat down right next to him.

Starfire turned and opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't quite know what to say. She had insisted on them taking the night off, that he go with her to the club. Starfire had felt extremely guilty all night long, but nobody ever said a word about it all night. With her duty and order to scout the city, in addition to the meeting earlier that night, she really didn't have a whole lot of time to reflect on the whole situation. However, there was one thing she did know. No matter how bad she felt about the situation, Robin did feel worse. He always tried to put the entire world's problems on his own two shoulders. He had worked extremely hard to keep peace and justice in the city. Right now, she really didn't know what he was thinking.

Robin slowly removed his hand from his face. He never turned to address her, and it was the first time that he looked exhausted. He didn't look tired from lack of sleep, it was something else.

"I'm tired, Starfire..." Robin finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity.

"I do not blame you. You have worked hard ever since we got the call, and I don't remember the last time you ate something. I am...sorry, though..." Robin turned as Starfire began apologizing for her actions. "If I hadn't forced you to..."

"It's not that, a weary body can be dealt with. A tired mind is a completely different matter..." Robin stood up and walked over to the table. He opened up the paper, the front headline for the Jump City Times read "Dr. Light Conviction Overturned" He grimaced for a second, crumbled the entire paper into one hand and tossed it to the side. He lazily walked back towards his chair and plopped into it once more.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I'm ever really doing any good out there..." Robin spoke as Starfire picked up the crumbled up paper.

"You have done far more than you realize. There are many people on this world who you have saved! There are many criminals who you've stopped!" Starfire pointed out to him.

"I've put out my fair share of fires, won a few battles..." Robin started, and he rubbed his forehead as he continued, "but the war keeps going...on and on...I let more people down today, Starfire. I let them die..."

"You are being too hard on yourself, I believe our friends would also agree..." Starfire walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. She stared hard at him.

"It's more than that, Starfire. That young girl was the same age I was when...when..." Robin tried to finish the sentence, but couldn't finish. His fists were both clenched, his teeth grinding against each other. Starfire slowly walked behind him and wrapped both of her arms around him. Slowly, her eyes began to water up. Another long silence filled the room, as the curtains blew blissfully unaware.

Robin stood up and walked towards the darkness of the room. He raised his head and looked straight into the darkness of the corner before speaking again.

"When all is said and done, how much good will I actually have accomplished? They sell T-shirts of us, Starfire. We're becoming a cliche, more good for the tourists than the streets. When you look too long into the darkness, the darkness starts to look right through you..." Robin reached up and took his mask off before continuing, "How long before I let someone else down? Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy? You? Maybe it's finally time for Robin to disappear into the night which gave him life!"

Robin dropped his mask to the floor, it floated like a feather in the air before falling to the ground. Starfire continued to stare as his fists were still clenched. Her tears were falling down on her face freely now, but she wasn't aware of it. Without realizing it, she had run to him, and hugged his back once more.

"A long time ago, my mother once told me, that we belong to the world, and the world belongs to us. The reason is we are born and continue to live in the world. I am glad to have met you. You've made me a happy woman. So please..." Starfire was now the one losing her voice, and it was Robin's turn to turn around and look surprised.

"Don't say that you've given up! Because I still believe that we can save everyone else!" Starfire managed to speak those last words before her tears starting to hit the ground.

"Starfire..." Robin turned around as they both hugged each other, with a golden ring and bracelet glistening in the darkness of the night, their continuing beacon of hope.

_The news from Blackfire is dire, the Gordanians have indeed returned to the planet Earth. With the general Koteamine leading the Gordanian forces, and Robin leading the counter assault, who will end up victorious at the end?_

_Next Time: Chapter 6 - Assault on the Spaceship_

_The Teen Titans launch their counterattack against the Gordanian fleet, as Koteamine observes from the shadows. Plans are set into motion and fate shows its hand once more as Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy all fight to avenge the fallen ones on Earth. You definitely won't want to miss it!_

**A/N: Special thanks go out to my reviewers, I do appreciate your comments and feedback on this story at any given point.**

**TDG3RD - Thanks for the props. I personally feel this one can be better than the last. The plot line I've developed in my own opinion is definitely much better than 'Sacrifice'.**

**tennisgal - Bottom line, I appreciate your honesty. It takes a lot of guts to give some honest feedback. Besides chapter length, if you could go into more detail about what I could do to improve, I could try and work on it. Thanks for your review, and I hope I can surpass your expectations in the future.**

**Zombieblood - w00t. Hope this chapter met your expectations.**


	7. Chapter 6: Assault on the Spaceship

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, Subsidiaries and/or Sponsors. The characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any similarity to actual living persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

**Legend:**

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_The news from Blackfire is dire, the Gordanians have indeed returned to the planet Earth. With the general Koteamine leading the Gordanian forces, and Robin leading the counter assault, who will end up victorious at the end?_

Chapter 6 - Assault on the Spaceship

The sun rose very slowly the next morning as the nighttime sky slowly retreated to the east. As the light rose from the base of the top of the tower, it pierced through the window and lit up the room as the city slowly began to wake up. Soon, the light would reach the city itself, its rays bringing a new day to the world. The wind blew the ocean to the shore, each low wave reaching roughly the same point on the beach as the previous one. Local joggers are running along the beach with several surfers trying to catch the next big wave in their passing eyes. Little is known to any of them that things are about to change drastically, a new battle was about to begin.

The early morning training had caused the Teen Titans some good, it caused them all to focus on the course and not allow their minds to wander. Robin and Cyborg upgraded the training course after their battle with the Umbringers, it became painfully clear to all of them that the old training course wasn't sufficient training in order to protect themselves. Each of them had suffered psychological damage, which made all of their physical injuries linger on longer than Robin had hoped or intended for.

When Robin had first installed the new A.I. program, he was worried that the challenges were going to be more difficult, since newer and even deadlier weapons were now installed. He had upgraded the laser beams at the request of both Cyborg and Beast Boy so they would now cause a great deal of pain if they ever found their target. Initially, he had been very reluctant to turn up the power even further, but his assumptions were thrown out the window by his teammates. Each team member clearing the course faster as time went along, and they were starting to do it on a regular basis which warranted the use of raising the power to the course. Beast Boy, in particular, was benefiting the most by the new course, as Robin noticed that the time lag Beast Boy once had when transforming from one animal to another was almost completely gone. His instincts were now sharper than he previously thought, but it was his decision-making ability which had taken the greatest strides in the months since the Umbringers attack and subsequent loss of Terra to Slade.

Jump City itself had made some large strides forward after the Titans had returned. Since the larger cities of Metropolis, Central City, and Gotham City all were becoming the centers for a great deal of technological, biochemical, and weaponry thefts, two more leading scientific research labs joined Wayne Industries in performing research in Jump City. Star Labs, Wayne Tech and even LexCorp had all invested their research industries to Jump City and all along the western coastline to further expand and protect their research projects, since many were being stolen or used either by super criminals which constantly inhabited those areas. Robin had already begun to implement strategies should any or all of the facilities become the targets of any criminals, but most of the research being done in all 3 facilities was mainly humanitarian, such as finding cures to lethal diseases and genetically reproducing food for international aid. Most of Jump City's criminals avoided the facilities, since they didn't really have anything they wanted, like money or jewels. Still, Robin knew that all three were bound to have some kind of trouble in the future, so he maintained several contacts within all 3 organizations.

Breakfast was already ready for the team as the elevator doors opened and the team walked forward out of it. Raven had already poured cereal for the group before they all underwent early morning training, and she walked over to the table as Cyborg and Beast Boy each took out their respected milks, whole milk for Cyborg with soy being the choice of Beast Boy. Robin walked over to the computer to check if the city had any pending requests for the team. He quickly skimmed through the entire police reports for the previous evening before allowing the computer to scan the document and begin to process the information to determine if there was the possibility of there being a motive for any activity that had been taking place in the city.

Starfire was cheerfully eating something yellow and purple with a big grin on her face as Robin walked over and sat down at the table as well. The morning ritual was usually the same and felt no different on this day, it had the feeling of any other case. He looked over to the large window as Cyborg entered several keys on his forearm. The entire team grew silent as he began to brief everyone on the situation.

"I've checked every single report, there have been no additional sightings of the Gordanians in this city since the incident just last night," Cyborg began as the teams' attention was now drawn to a large map of Earth and its surroundings as he continued, "It took quite a while to get an entire map of the space outside of Earth, but there hasn't been a single sighting of any Gordanian ship anywhere in our solar system since Starfire first arrived. I'm re-scanning the entire area now, but considering the technological achievements and advancements the Gordanians have obtained, I doubt I'll be able to find anything definitive."

Robin narrowed his eyes as Cyborg finished giving the initial report. If the Gordanians were simply here for Starfire like they were last time, they would have simply started looking everywhere in the city. Although Titans Tower is well known to the citizens of Jump City, it wasn't exactly hard to find either. Also, in their previous encounter with the Gordanians, they weren't afraid to be out in the open, meaning they didn't really fear the citizens of Earth at all. It made little sense to him that the Gordanians would all of a sudden change their tactics, unless...

"They want US to find them..." Robin spoke up as the team now focused on him. The initial pieces were in place, somebody was going through a great deal of effort not only to conceal themselves from Earth and its inhabitants, but to change their tactics this much meant they wanted someone to find them. Someone who was specifically looking for a Gordanian ship, and with technological advancements which far outdid anything Earth had to offer. Even Wayne Industries' deep space monitoring network had failed to pick up anything coming to Earth.

"The Gordanians are definitely here in our solar system. I highly doubt that one would simply come to Earth, kill a few inhabitants then just disappear. I had Cyborg run a security scan of the city throughout the remaining night-time hours to see if there were any heat signatures belonging to anyone not of this world, but his scan came up clean, the proof being that we were never called last night." Robin's still half-full bowl of cereal was still sitting on the table as he finished. He picked it up and handed it to Starfire, who had collected all of the other dishes, all of them were empty with the exception of his. She gave a long sigh as she set them all in the sink as Raven was now bringing the team up to speed.

"Even though Beast Boy lost their trail in the city, I began trying to psychically scan the area for anything which resembled the bloodlust that only the Gordanians have. My scan came up empty on the city, but I can still feel their presence, meaning that they're still relatively close. The Gordanians have developed some kind of psychic shield, I can't get an exact location, though." Raven crossed her arms in frustration as she turned to Robin.

"We'll need some other way to find their ship then." Beast Boy punched his right fist into his left hand as he turned to Robin, "got any ideas?"

Robin sat back into his chair as he closed his eyes and began reviewing every single piece of information that they all had in place right now.

_I know the Gordanians are out there, waiting for us. If we wait too long, someone else could probably get hurt. I know they're in some kind of ship and probably holding right above Earth's orbit somewhere, using some kind of cloaking technology which allows them to seem invisible to all of our sensors and satellites. Wait a second, the satellites! _

Robin stood up from the table so quickly it startled the entire team. He ran over to the computer and began entering keys as the map on the large screen began to show all of the satellite locations in Earth's orbit. He began speaking what he was looking for while he entered keys on his computer.

"I find it odd that not only our deep space monitoring network failed to pick up anything, but since the Gordanians have arrived, not a single satellite has seen anything resembling an alien ship, much less a Gordanian one. So, what if some of our satellites were taken out unexpectedly when they arrived and have been hanging up there in a cloaked form?" Robin exclaimed as several small blips on the screen suddenly appeared.

"These are the satellites that were in Earth's orbit exactly 1 week ago. It's natural that we lose several satellites over the course of time, but since then, we've lost 5 over the course of just one week. That's way too high of a frequency for it to be a coincidence..." Robin entered several more keys as Cyborg understood where he was going with the discussion.

"Ok, Robin, first remove all of the satellites we have in orbit right now." Seconds later, only an image of Earth remained on the screen.

"Good, now add in the five satellites which disappeared and their corresponding orbits they were supposed to be going ." After another moment, five lines appeared, each with a different color to show variance.

"Finally, we'll need their exact locations before they went offline." Robin entered a few more keys and the eyes of the rest of the team widened. Cyborg and Robin were right, the satellites all last known transmitting location were all within a small radius, meaning something was in their path.

"This area of space here should be where the Gordanian ship is, then?" Beast Boy traced the area with his finger. It was a relatively small area on the map, but it was sitting high up in space, isolated and alone.

"I think so, Beast Boy. Everyone get ready, we're heading out there now before they decide to head down here again and attack someone else!" Robin commanded as the team nodded in agreement.

"Make no mistake, those Gordanians WILL pay for what they did to the people of the city we protect," Robin pushed several keys as the location was transmitted to Cyborg.

"Titans, Go!"

**Meanwhile, as the Titans make their preparations...**

Fifteen large flat screens were stacked, on a 3x5 grid, with a DNA sequence and multiple numbers which seemed to flow with the information being shown. An arrow pointer is on a specific sequence, showing that the sequence has still yet to be complete.

"Well? Is the information we received really worth all the trouble the Earth is presently in?" An adult female's voice called out of the darkness, her accent belonging to someone from the eastern part of Europe.

"It is still too early to tell. Thanks to Warp's technology, I was successfully able to complete the mind-control device, but this sequence here probably needs to come from an alien source..." The male voice was somewhat muffled and hard to hear, as if the words were coming through a filter before they could be heard through the human ear.

The female voice laughed several times loudly, the sound echoed throughout the dank and dark place they were located.

"Why did you send the Gordanians Warp then? Couldn't we use his technology to go to a time when the technology you need exists?" The female voice asked her male companion. Both of them were concealed in darkness, but the woman sighed as if she was bored with the current conditions.

"Unfortunately, no. Warp's technology only allows him to go to his present time and anytime in the past. I cannot jump further up with the limited jumps he has." The male voice responded, but his voice sounded like it was coming from someone who was only giving half their attention.

"That's why I sent the Gordanians bait in the form of Warp. Their technology and manpower has enabled them to be one of the most feared species throughout the entire cosmos, their reputation is on-par with that of those from the war-torn planet Apokolips. I've learned that only technology from the Gordanian home planet can help me solve this remaining segment of D.N.A. that has eluded me for quite some time. " The male voice continued to speak as the light from the television screens came up onto the man's face, which revealed a gold and black mask. It belonged to the Teen Titans enemy who continuously avoided capture and whose dealings with the Titans had led to several victories and defeats.

"The Gordanians will come to Earth, seeking additional information about the technology that Warp possesses. Additionally, they will have a chance to gain additional resources and information from the planet." Slade finished his assessment of the Gordanians as the woman stepped forward into the light to reveal his companion, Madame Rouge.

"When the Gordanians do arrive, I sincerely doubt that they will willingly hand over the information you need. After all, they have no idea that is was you who sent them Warp. Hell, Warp doesn't even know that it was you who set him up to be captured and sent to the Gordanian fleet anchored deep in the galaxy. Plus, the children will undoubtedly try to stop the Gordanian ship once they learn of their existence in this solar system." Madame Rouge commented on Slade's plan with half a smile as she analyzed their situation.

"My dear, I'm actually counting on the young Titans to stop the Gordanians!" Slade shot back, he gave off a loud laugh as he finally turned to address Madame Rouge completely.

Madame Rouge's left eyebrow raised. She threw both arms up in defeat, as she finally understood Slade's plan. Soon, the Teen Titans would engage the Gordanian ship and defeat them. While the two forces were in combat, Slade would steal the remaining technology and information needed to complete his D.N.A. sequence. Everything was going according to plan...

**One hour later, 85 miles out of Jump City to the East...**

The T-Car's engine was still revving as it spun around in the dirt and made a wide turn as it came to a stop. Both the driver and passenger side doors opened, as Cyborg and Raven stepped out of the car. The driver's side backdoor opened soon after, as Beast Boy slowly exited, then yawned. He stretched out his arms, then his legs as Robin's motorcycle came into view, with Starfire flying right behind him.

The team found themselves virtually in the middle of nowhere, 35 miles from the nearest town and 10 miles from the nearest road. As Robin's motorcycle started to slow down as it came to the rest of the group, Cyborg flipped open a panel on his right forearm and started entering several keys. He looked straight up into the air as Robin took off his helmet, with Starfire landing right beside him.

"GPS coordinates confirm, we'll be directly underneath the Gordanian spaceship in exactly 7 minutes. If we're right about the ship being in orbit, we should be able to see if it's really still here." Cyborg explained to the rest of the team, each one nodding in understanding. Robin then cleared his throat and motioned for everyone's attention.

"Listen up, when we board the ship, we're going to operate under radio silence. I know that they're expecting us to show, but I'm not one to give away the element of surprise, particularly if we can gain it." Robin began briefing his team. Each one was paying close attention, since they were dealing with the same species which took Starfire as a captive and was preparing to use her as a slave.

"The plan is still the same as it usually is for this kind of situation. We get in, take control of the command post and get the ship down. If we can keep it intact, then the information and technology inside could prove useful down the road. If that option remains impossible, we sink the ship and destroy it so no one else can obtain it. I don't have to tell all of you that the technology the Gordanians possess is worth untold amounts on the black markets around the world." Robin continued to explain as Cyborg looked straight up while the others nodded in understanding.

"It's almost time, I brought along something which should help us find the ship." Cyborg announced as the index finger on his right hand changed into a small pointer with a small satellite coming out of his left.

"Raven can psychically tell once the Gordanians begin to approach, while I can use these instruments here to pinpoint their location. That's when we'll be able to make our move..." Cyborg finished as Raven's eyes glowed underneath her hood. Everyone grew quiet as they waited for her signal.

The next couple of minutes were filled with silence as everyone anxiously waited to see if Robin and Cyborg's theory about how to find the Gordanian spaceship panned out. Robin double checked the gear in his utility belt, Cyborg pointed the small satellite in his left hand at the sky in random spots and then pointed it someplace else after a second or two. Beast Boy waved his hand in front of Raven's face after a short while and Starfire stood silently with her hands at her side.

She raised her left wrist to get a glimpse of her golden bracelet. It was harder to see it clearly in the darkness of the night, but knowing it was still there always renewed her faith in herself. She glanced over at Robin, but with his outfit and style, it was impossible to tell whether or not he was still wearing the necklace with the ring attached to it. While it may have been impossible for any outsider to tell, she knew he never let it out of his sight. She smiled as she closed her eyes. Years ago, she had lost her brother and her parents, her sister was leading a questionable lifestyle, and she was used as a political pawn between both Tamaran and the Gordanians. At the time the Gordanian ship passed by Earth, she had no idea that she would ever have met a group of true friends, a home to call her own, or even love. To make things a bit more interesting, he was justice personified and quite famous all around the world.

Raven's voice snapped everyone out of their trance. The time to strike back at the Gordanians was finally at hand.

"I can sense quite a few Gordanians. They're coming from that direction." Raven pointed towards the top of a small mountain pass, where the sky and land seemed to intersect. Almost instantly, Cyborg pointed the satellite in his left hand over at the spot where Raven had instructed and several beeps on his arm began to ring.

"Raven's right, I'm getting rebound from sound waves coming from that spot." Cyborg then pointed the instrument on his right index finger and a red laser dot shot right out of it and towards the same spot. His left arm beeped a few more times before his robotic left eye turned red.

"I've switched over to infrared sight. I can now see the ship, and it's a big one. I can't see where it ends and the sky begins again. It's completely different from the ship we first encountered." Cyborg finished speaking as they all started to gather closer to Raven and formed a circle. She raised both of her arms as the dark energy surrounded the group. The energy completely surrounded the group and it quickly vanished, the Teen Titans disappearing with it.

**Seconds later, high above inside the Gordanian ship...**

A small platoon of six Gordanians marched past a small room which was relatively empty, save a rack with several lances on it. Apparently, it was just used to house the lances, or it just hadn't been fully stocked yet. Dark energy filled the entire room, then converged as it began to take form. First, long black wings spread out, then a giant raven head sprouted out. It made a screeching sound before its wings came together. They spread out once more, as all five Teen Titans now found themselves aboard the Gordanian ship.

Silently, Robin held up his right hand to his ear, then made a silent chop forward. Each of the team went to a side by the door as they waited silently to see if anyone was around. The door opened as a small mirror came out. Robin held the mirror with his right hand, but managed to keep out of sight. He shook his head and then stared over at Cyborg, who's right index finger was extended like a small hose. He had used it several times before in covert operations, at the end of the hose was a small camera lens, which was connected to his robotic eye so he could see out of it. Cyborg then shook his head as well silently before the group all converged on one side. Robin pointed at his head as Raven nodded. Her eyes glowed, allowing the entire group to telepathically communicate.

_Is everybody linked? _Raven's voice was the first one who spoke telepathically. Everyone nodded in unison as the conversation continued.

_Good. It looks like I managed to get us onto the bottom level of the ship. I think we're also towards the front of the ship, meaning we're furthest from the engines. What do we do now?_ Raven finished as Robin's voice was the next one to take over.

_I need to get to a spot where I can hook up to the network to this ship. From there, I'll be able to download the schematics and learn how to pilot this ship once we gain control. There should be a centralized computer system somewhere in the middle of the ship, I'd rather not learn how to fly this ship once it's going down inside the cockpit of the ship. _ Cyborg finished his report as Robin nodded and began to lead his team.

_Right, then we'll need to split up. Starfire, help Cyborg find the central control room. Raven and Beast Boy, you two head over towards the engine room and cause a disturbance. We'll all meet up at the command post once the Gordanians start to move due to the disturbance Raven and Beast Boy cause. _Robin reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small, hand-held electronic device.

_What will you be doing? _Beast Boy's voice asked as everyone was still staring at Robin.

_Setting up Plan B, should it come to that. Everyone knows their assignment now. Remember, we maybe in low orbit, but there is no air should there be a breach. Keep in contact via the psychic link Raven has established. Titans, Go! _

With Robin's final words, everyone spread out from the room and headed towards their respected destinations.

**Seconds later, high above in the command post of the Gordanian ship...**

Sliding doors retracted as a single Gordanian soldier appeared. The soldier marched over towards the center, where there was a large chair with a larger Gordanian sitting on it. The larger Gordanian turned its head towards the soldier, who saluted and began to speak.

"General Koteamine, we have detected an energy surge deep on the lower deck. A team has been deployed, but all initial readings so far indicate there has been no damage whatsoever to the ship." The soldier finished his briefing as he waited for orders from his superior. Slowly, the head of the general of the ship came into clear view as he responded.

"I'm actually somewhat impressed. I had thought that the Corporal would need to kill some more of the planet's species before they would have found us, but here they are already. Sergeant!" A soldier appeared from behind the chair and walked over to the left of the soldier who had given Koteamine the report. The Sergeant saluted his General as he awaited his new orders.

"Inform the first and second platoons to move and patrol both engine rooms on level 2. Get the Corporal out of his bed and have him join them. Inform every guard on level 3 to begin patrols and ensure no one gets near the ship's centralized computer system. The third, fifth, and sixth platoons should immediately get to level 1 while my own personal guard and myself will remain here on level 5." The Sergeant saluted General Koteamine as he understood his orders and quickly left to carry out his mission.

"Sir, if I may..." The lone soldier who had come into report of the energy surge was still there and had spoken up once the Sergeant had left. "What do you want to do with the remaining 4 platoons? Shall I have them come up here and guard this station?"

"No, that will not be necessary. Instead, have the communications room transmit a message back to the home world. "

"Sir! The content of the message?"

"Testing of the new device to spread across time and dimensions for the purposes of a new prison system will begin shortly."

As Koteamine finished, the soldier saluted and also departed. Three more soldiers soon appeared behind the chair of the great general from the Gordanian home world. Each one gave a snarl as Koteamine smiled.

_It has been far too long...since I have seen anguish and despair! Cower and fear at the sight of the mighty Gordanian army!_

_As the Teen Titans move to halt the actions of the Gordanian army, General Koteamine has commanded his troops to halt their actions. Whose resolve will ultimately lead them to victory?_

_Next Time: Chapter 7 - The Ambush on Level 2_

_Beast Boy and Raven move to cause a distraction for the rest of the team, but their actions cause notice and are forced into a fight. You won't want to miss it!_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading up to this point. Reviews are **__**ALWAYS**__** appreciated, so whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I encourage you to share your viewpoints and opinions with me.**_

_**Well, it's finally time for me to resume this storyline, which many and myself believe is something that's been far overdue. We'll see you all again soon!**_


	8. Chapter 7: Ambush on Level 2

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, Subsidiaries and/or Sponsors. The characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any similarity to actual living persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

**Legend:**

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_As the Teen Titans move to halt the actions of the Gordanian army, General Koteamine has commanded his troops to halt their actions. Whose resolve will ultimately lead them to victory?_

Chapter 7 - The Ambush on Level 2

The Teen Titans found the first level of the ship relatively easy to navigate through. Starfire and Cyborg had made their way to the central area of level 1 and were still searching for the centralized computer network. Beast Boy transformed himself to a small green fly to avoid detection while Raven had assimilated herself within the shadows of the ship. Both of them were moving quickly towards the rear of level 1 in search of the engine rooms. Robin had found a ventilation system and was moving through it quickly in order to avoid detection. It wasn't long before the group checked in.

_This is Cyborg, I don't think the network is here on the 1st floor. We haven't yet had to engage in any Gordanian forces on our end, we've been able to sneak around without any of them finding us. However, we're pretty much running blind here! We need to know where to go! Has anyone seen anything which looks like a map? _

_Robin here, I've got something on my end. I think I'm looking at some emergency plans in case something goes wrong with the ship and the Gordanians are forced to abandon the ship._

Both Cyborg and Starfire turned the corner on a hallway and hid themselves as a group of six Gordanians were now running. They were speaking in a different language not known to Cyborg, so he had no clue what was going on.

_Raven, link us up! Starfire, can you read these words? I can only seem to make out that we've got a five-layered ship, but I can't tell which floor is which..._

Raven appeared next to a large cylinder located in a small niche within one of the larger hallways. It was such that it allowed her to stay hidden while she was able to work. A small green fly landed on her shoulder as her eyes glowed, which would allow everyone to see what Robin now saw.

Every Titan closed their eyes to see what was right in front of him. He had laid out five large pieces of paper, each containing a diagram of a different area. In certain rooms, there was writing, but like Robin had alluded to, it was written in a foreign language to anyone who did not know how to write the Gordanian language. Starfire took a moment to study the titles of each of the diagrams, then she spoke as Robin held up each one.

_Friends! Each piece is labeled by what are referred to as Levels. Based on the writing on each of the parchments, only one has friend Cyborg and my destination. The centralized computer system is located on what is labeled as Level 3. Friend Raven and Beast Boy, the engine rooms are located on what is written on as Level 2. The command center is on Level 5, Robin, you have them slightly out of order._

Starfire instructed Robin as he moved the pieces into the correct order. When he finally had them all in order, he spoke telepathically again.

_Ok, it looks like we all know now where to approximately head to. Be careful and don't let your guard down, we don' t want to announce our arrival to this ship until after Raven and Beast Boy have created a diversion. Titans, Go!_

Robin hadn't finished speaking more than a second before he noticed shadows and heard some footsteps coming his way. He had just put the lid back on the ventilation crate as two Gordanian soldiers walked past in the hallway. One of them stopped three steps after making its way past the door and sniffed a couple times before giving a disgusted look on its face. It held its forearm up to his nose as the other soldier waved its claw in denial. The soldiers then stared at each other for a long moment before they continued to march on down the hallway. The two soldiers passed an intersection before another soldier came up to them and began to inform of them of their new orders. The two soldiers gave a salute before taking the left turn and running down the hallway.

Starfire and Cyborg had found a hatch which connected Levels 1 and 2 and were just finishing replacing it when they noticed a group of six Gordanian soldiers coming down some stairs. All of them were armed with spears and tridents, and judging from their demeanor, were in quite a hurry to get to their destination. Starfire gave a concerned glare to Cyborg, maybe one of their friends was spotted by the Gordanians and now they were heading to find them. Cyborg instead shook his head and silently pointed to what looked like a speaker system. He then pointed to his head, asking her to think what the logical choice would be if any of them had been found out. If they had, then the central command would have issued an order via the communication devices found on every ship, it allowed the command post to issue orders to everyone on the ship. This allowed everyone on every level to communicate with the central command post and vice versa if the need arose. Since no orders and no alarms had ever sounded, Cyborg had deduced that they still were not seen by the Gordanians.

Cyborg's right index finger extended again, to take a peek across and to the sides of every single angle to see which direction they could move. His index finger retracted as he pointed the way for the two of them to go. Silently and quickly, the two of them moved towards the stairs. Starfire poked her head on top of the stairs to take a quick peek before she carried Cyborg up quietly. They hid behind a large crate as they could hear more Gordanian soldiers coming. They pressed against the crate as they heard roughly twelve more Gordanians moving downstairs as well. Even though Cyborg had indicated that the Gordanians did not know they were here on their ship, he was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Either they were getting suspicious and upping the patrols, or else they were getting ready for another assault on Earth. In any scenario he could come up with, it only added pressure for the operation to succeed. As soon as they finally heard silence, they moved from the crate and continued to move towards the central computer network. They were now on Level 3, and everything depending on the two of them successfully reaching the network, enabling Cyborg to integrate with the Gordanian systems and gaining information which would help them all succeed.

**Meanwhile, up on the command post of Level 5...**

General Koteamine had finished receiving a report and had just waved off the soldier when another's voice came from the terminal in front of him.

"General, sir! Incoming transmission from Level 4!"

"Open the line, soldier. This is Koteamine, report." The general spoke with his full attention, apparently this was a call he was expecting.

"General, sir! The device you requested is ready and awaiting your order." The soldier's voice on the other line spoke with clarity and was met with a large grin from Koteamine.

"Excellent. Power it on and give me control." Koteamine stood up and walked forward several steps towards the terminal.

"Yes, sir! Command of the warp device is moving to you. You will have full access to the device in 60 seconds." The voice reported as General Koteamine's attention moved to a separate terminal. It slowly began to power on, the buzzing components began to sing.

**3 Levels below, just outside the left engine room...**

The doors to the engine room swung open as a single Gordanian technician walked casually out. A single green fly buzzed through just before the door closed. The engine room was relatively large, the green fly had more room as it flew around and landed on one of the upper guardrails. Its many eyes stared and studied the large place before it flew above the heads of several Gordanian technicians. It flew over towards the far corner, where a shadow from a large crate was cast. As the green fly landed, it changed quickly into Beast Boy, who was using the shadow as cover from the people in the room.

The familiar form of Raven soon appeared from the shadow being cast as she set herself down right next to Beast Boy. She pressed her back against the large crate and peered out to see the engine room's layout. She watched as the doors to the main hallway opened as a somewhat larger Gordanian walked in. This one was no technician by any means, its claws were longer and looked much sharper. She observed as the Gordanians spoke to each other in their own tongue, several of the technicians saluted the larger one as each one passed. As it turned and began to walk down one of the long walkways of the engine room, Raven and Beast Boy began to report to the team.

_This is Raven, Beast Boy and I have successfully infiltrated one of the Gordanian engine rooms. We need to know exactly where to strike to cause enough of a disturbance. Cyborg, what's your current status?_

_Cyborg here, we've had to go the long way around, but judging from what Star and I see, we're almost there. We've been following the cable lines and they all seem to meet in one spot on the current floor we're on. We're definitely getting closer, so just hang on a little bit longer guys!_

_Robin here, has any team encountered a Gordanian soldier yet?_

_Beast Boy here, we haven't been spotted by the enemy yet, so we're all clear here._

_Cyborg's voice reported the same thing about himself and Starfire. They had a couple close calls, but so far, all the Gordanians seemed to be preoccupied with something else._

Raven for the first time had some time to think since the team had split up. Something didn't feel right to her. She listened closely as Cyborg recounted several dozen Gordanian soldiers moving below them to the bottom level. At the same time, she never heard any sort of announcement coming from the loudspeakers on every floor. Most ships had them, it enabled the command center to keep in touch with every single level of the ship. It was very odd that not even a casual announcement had been announced. That was, unless...

_They know we're here!_

Raven suddenly felt her heart accelerate as she came to the conclusion. It was almost too easy how they had all been able to infiltrate the ship's upper levels without so much as a single soldier seeing them.

_I know, Raven. It's been way too easy how we've all been able to move about freely without someone being spotted. Even with the advanced technology of the Gordanians, I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have some sort of surveillance on their own ship. You and Beast Boy can move around freely, but Starfire, Cyborg and even myself have to pass by the hallways, which are sure to have been monitored by someone. We all know the Gordanians are many things, but they definitely aren't that stupid._

Raven turned her head to Beast Boy as Robin spoke, and watched as a small drop of sweat came down his cheek. They had unknowingly walked into a trap, and now they were caught in a very vulnerable position. Whoever was behind the trap was definitely a clever one, this Gordanian had caught the Teen Titans in a trap even though the team knew to watch out for them. Additionally, with the current setup of the troops, it would be difficult for the team to escape.

_Since Cyborg reported that he and Starfire have seen many troops heading below us, it means they've caught us in a sandwich. However, everything is not lost yet! Even if they know where Cyborg and Starfire are, I'm pretty sure that with the abilities of both Raven and Beast Boy that they aren't sure where you two are. The mission can still succeed, but everything depends on when Cyborg links up with the centralized computer network. _

_Everyone, keep your cool and don't lose sight of what we're here for! No one here believed this would be easy, but now that we know what the enemy's plans are, we can adjust and use it to our advantage!_

Raven peered out from the side of the crate again as the larger Gordanian was now walking towards the large crate. He still seemed unaware that anyone was in the room, but now that the team knew of the enemy's plan, she could tell he was skillfully trying to find them while appearing not to.

Raven turned to Beast Boy, who stared back at her. She pointed up and the green boy nodded before transforming back into a fly once more and began to fly upward. Even though they were hidden for now, it didn't mean that they were going to remain hidden indefinitely. It was time to find another safe hiding spot, and Beast Boy transformed gave them the best chance to find one. The green fly buzzed around in a couple circles before flying straight upward. Its many eyes observed as the doors opened and more Gordanian guards entered the room. From her hiding spot, Raven suddenly began to note that there were much fewer technicians in the room and a whole lot more guards in the room. They must have been casually switching them out the entire time they were in the room, and with the amount of time it took for the group to realize the situation, a great deal had been switched out from under their noses. The situation was getting very dangerous for both Raven and Beast Boy.

The green fly hovered in mid-air as the larger Gordanian finally noticed its existence. He stared long and hard at the fly and was just about ready to investigate it when a very loud alarm went off in the entire room.

Every Gordanian looked around at one another, but nobody in the room had done anything to trigger such an alarm. Soon, a loud Gordanian voice came over the loudspeakers, and in surprise to Raven, the voice over the loudspeaker spoke in English.

"This is General Koteamine. The wait is over, all troops on levels 2 and 3 are to engage their targets. I repeat, all troops on levels 2 and 3 are to engage their targets."

Raven nearly gasped as each Gordanian in the room began to smile. Every single troop instantly pointed their spears towards the exact spot where she was hiding. It didn't make any sense, how could they possibly know the spot where she was?

"You heard the General, humans. We are now free to directly engage you. You might think that you were clever using stealth tactics, but we Gordanians could smell you once you entered the room. I know there's two of you there, so it's time to come out now! You should know by now you have no hope of defeating this many troops!" The loud voice came from the larger Gordanian, who seemed to know from the moment he entered the room that both Raven and Beast Boy were in the room.

_Beast Boy, stay in that form! He still thinks there's two of us here! What set off the alarm?_

_Friend Raven! It is your friend, Starfire! We have reached the central computer command post, but as soon as friend Cyborg connected to the network, the alarm sounded!_ _I am sorry, but we are currently pinned in this room! Friend Cyborg is working now on, so please just wait a little bit longer!_

_We may not have that long, Starfi-..._

The connection between the entire group was suddenly cut off as the crate Raven was hiding behind suddenly broke apart as the Gordanians opened fire. It was very difficult for her to maintain psychic contact if something broke her concentration. Raven's eyes glowed as her eyes glowed and began to hover above the ground. She came up quickly and with her power, grabbed a hold of several crates near her feat and flung them all towards the Gordanians who were shooting at her.

Her sudden appearance had caught several of the Gordanians by surprise, as some of the crates thrown found their target. She put up a shield as more incoming blasts kept coming towards her from the Gordanians who either weren't targeted by the crates or those who avoided her first attack. As the blasts kept coming, she noted that they were all still standing on a walkway, which was supported by many long poles coming from the ceiling. This enabled a make-shift second floor, enabling anyone who stood on it to see what was going on below.

Raven's dark energy wrapped around nearly all of the poles on one side of the platform as she began her chant.

"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She raised both her arms and slammed them down as all the poles in the ceiling came sprouting out of the foundation.

As the Gordanian soldiers continued to fire, they all stopped when the floor they were all standing on began to shake. The entire platform then crumbled on one side and crashed to the floor. Several Gordanians tried running, but it was little use as they all fell with the one side of the platform. As one side came down, the platform's other side began to waver as well. The platform apparently was not designed for one side to come crashing down with the other remaining intact, and as a result, the sheer force and weight from one side collapsing was enough for the other side to begin to shake as well. After a few more moments, the other side underwent the same fate, and the entire platform crashed down.

Since Raven possessed the ability to float and hover, she was able to avoid all the damage the other Gordanians were not able to. She put her shield down to scan the surroundings and check to see if Beast Boy was able to avoid the platform coming down.

Raven's eyes moved from left to right as she tried to find Beast Boy. It was difficult since quite a lot of dust was now in the air, it only made her task more difficult. If things were now all clear, she could try and re-establish psychic contact with the entire team. Raven began to descend to the ground as she saw a piece of the platform get tossed off. Maybe Beast Boy had gotten caught up in the fall of the platform, she wasn't able to tell him to watch out for it, after all.

A large Gordanian instantly burst through and punched at Raven as she was almost to the ground. She put up a dark shield just in time to block the strike. The Gordanian kept punching at her before spinning, his tail catching the back of her right foot and knocking her onto her bottom. She winced at the pain and opened her eyes as a large claw was now coming straight down on her. There wasn't enough time to block this strike.

The large Gordanian's strike never hit Raven as the soldier was hit with the tail from a Steggosaurus. The Gordanian flew towards the wall and created a large dent in it before he bounced off and hit the ground. He looked up quickly as the dinosaur was now gone, it had transformed into a tiger and was now standing in front of Raven. The tiger roared loudly at the Gordanian, who simply picked himself and smiled.

"Well, it seems like this might actually be fun after all. I wonder how long you can keep it up though!" The Gordanians claws grew several inches longer as he finished. The large being slashed several pieces of the fallen platform. Each piece he slashed fell apart into further pieces as the Gordanian seemed pleased with his short demonstration of the sharpness of his claws.

"I'm the Corporal of this ship. I'd give you my real name, but I see no point in giving it to weaker beings who are simply going to die..." The Corporal finished as he held up one claw to his mouth. His tongue came out and it licked the claw before retreating back to his mouth.

Unfazed by the Corporal's taunts, the green tiger changed into a gorilla. The gorilla pounded its chest several times before roaring right back. Raven recovered and began to hover right above him. Her eyes glowed once more as the three fighters charged at one another.

**Meanwhile, one level above...**

Starfire was flying at top speed, hitting each Gordanian she came across with a starbolt punch. The blows knocked several off their feet as Cyborg continued to fire his own sonic cannon at several charging towards him. Several of them had gotten past, however, and were now too close for him to safely fire any longer. The cannon on his right arm changed back to his hand and he punched at one Gordanian, hitting him clear on its jaw, causing him to fly into several others. His shoulders opened and missiles flew at several more incoming soldiers.

Cyborg had been successful in linking up with the centralized computer system, but as soon as he had plugged in, the alarm had been sounded. What made things worse is that he and Starfire could no longer speak to their team telepathically. Now, they were limited to their communicators, which required space, time, and away from danger. Unfortunately, he and Starfire had none of the three.

The two Titans were making their way towards the stairs to try and join up with Robin, who before had wanted the entire team to meet up on the highest level of the ship. Barring their path were dozens of Gordanians, each armed with a long range weapon and exponentially stronger than most humans they had encountered. Only meta-humans or those with super powers had a hope of standing up individually to just one Gordanian soldier.

Cyborg's attention was drawn above many of the Gordanian soldiers as Starfire was now flying back towards him, with several Gordanians flying right behind her firing their own weapons. Raising his right arm as his sonic cannon changed once more, he fired several blasts which caught the Gordanians chasing Starfire. She landed right next to him as her own eyes glowed green. The beam coming from her eyes was stronger than her starbolts, and she fired it straight ahead as it caught the ones remaining on the ground. Her eyes changed back to normal as she bent down and put both hands on her knees and began to pant.

"How many of these guys are there? They just keep coming! What's worse is we have no clue how Raven, Beast Boy and Robin are doing!" Cyborg remarked as he saw several more soldiers began to run from the end of the hallway where the stairs were.

Even if the two Titans could beat Gordanian soldiers, it did not mean they could so forever. They were far outnumbered on the ship, and now time was no longer on their side. Starfire looked up at the ceiling and then at her feet on the floor beneath them. It was then she got an idea for what they could do. She could break a hole in either the ceiling or the floor. Below was her friends Raven and Beast Boy, who they didn't know if they needed help or not. Above was Robin and the command center, where their original objective was supposed to be. With the way events were shaping out to be, she could likely only choose one. She looked up at Cyborg, who seemed to have grasped the idea in her head.

Cyborg pointed above as he began to speak.

"Go, Starfire! I'll head below and we'll draw the Gordanians into two directions! Whoever set this whole thing up is above us and the only one up there right now is Robin! I'll meet up with B.B. and Raven and then we'll join you, so go!" Cyborg shouted as he pointed his sonic cannon at the ceiling and fired. Part of the ceiling came down as both of them could see the floor above, with several Gordanians now looking down on them.

Cyborg's quick action did not leave any time for Starfire to argue, so she quickly flew up and fired several starbolts above at the Gordanian army to clear a path for her. Cyborg then pointed his sonic gun at his feet and fired to open another hole. He jumped down it as soldiers charging from Level 3 then had to split up, chasing after him now on Level 2 with Starfire charging forward on Level 4.

**One level higher, on the command post...**

General Koteamine now stood alone in a now deserted command post. His arms were crossed as the ventilation shaft came off its hinges and opened. Robin pulled himself and flipped down onto his feet. He reached into his utility belt and pulled out his retractable bo-staff and several discs. As he took his stance, Koteamine turned around to now stand face-to-face with the leader of the Teen Titans.

"I must say I'm impressed. Not only did you elude detection after the alarm went off, but you have remained undetected to reach this spot. That's quite a feat for someone of the lowest species..."

The General of the Gordanian forces did not seem to notice or care about the weapons Robin now wielded. Rather, it was Robin who now needed time. Time for his teammates to come and help defeat General Koteamine and put a stop to the Gordanian assault on the planet Earth. However, based on the actions Koteamine took to lure the Titans into a trap, he was probably aware of the predicament.

"Trogar failed to beat us and you will fare no better! Whatever plans you have for the Earth will fail as well! Starfire belongs here on Earth for however long she chooses! You Gordanians do not have the right to dictate how people in the universe live!" Robin was challenging Koteamine as an intellectual. If successful, he would be able to stall Koteamine for a few minutes before any real danger presented itself.

The large General simply shook its head before holding up its long claw and tapped his nose.

"I'm afraid that trick won't work on me. You still have failed to realize the biggest trap I've set, and it will cost you more than you can imagine!" Koteamine then pointed his claws at Robin, and each one shot out straight at the young hero. Robin pounced to his left to avoid the blast as he heard something close behind him. Koteamine's claws had hit a button on the wall behind him, and it caused the doors to close and lock.

"Now, nobody will be able to hear you scream!" Koteamine then growled once and charged straight at Robin.

_**Koteamine and Robin face off against one another as the rest of the team scrambles to escape the trap set by Koteamine. Will Robin be able to hold off Koteamine, or will the General's final trap ensnare himself and the rest of the Teen Titans?**_

_**Next time: Chapter 8 - The Device**_

_**General Koteamine unleashes the device born from both Warp and Gordanian technology as both Robin and Starfire prove to be no match for the **_**Gordanian**_**. You won't want to miss it!**_


	9. Chapter 8: The Device

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, Subsidiaries and/or Sponsors. The characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any similarity to actual living persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

**Legend:**

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_**Koteamine and Robin face off against one another as the rest of the team scrambles to escape the trap set by Koteamine. Will Robin be able to hold off Koteamine, or will the General's final trap ensnare himself and the rest of the Teen Titans?**_

**Chapter 8 - The Device**

The black cape of Robin blew up quickly as three discs flew straight at Koteamine. The large Gordanian did not move as all three exploded as they made contact. Robin waited for a moment as the pressure from all the explosions subsided, then turned to see the result of his attack. Still standing in the same place and not having moved a single inch stood Koteamine. His attack had caused no damage at all to the Gordanian, who seemed to be waiting for something.

"You know," Robin leaned back slightly as Koteamine continued to speak, "I still find it hard to believe that mere human children could cause our great Emperor to send me to such a remote part of the universe. If someone had heard that the planet Earth was producing capable warriors, I for one am not to believe it without severe reservations."

Robin stood straight up before he twirled his bo-staff several times and pointed it straight at Koteamine. His right foot strafed as some dust came up from the pressure he was placing on it.

"You're not the first to make that mistake, nor will you be the last. The Earth is considered home by many beings, not just humans. We've got a couple Kryptonians, Martians, and others who simply wish to live their lives in peace. Starfire, a Tamaranian, is no different. So long as any being respects and obeys its laws, anyone is free to stay on Earth." Robin's voice was very clear and confident.

"We on Earth believe in the ideals of justice and freedom. It is because of these ideals that I continue to fight, and that's why you will lose here today, Koteamine!"

The large general began to laugh several times, Robin's statement had apparently caught him off guard. He looked up at the young man who was now standing against him.

"I think you're the one who seems to be misunderstanding something very important here," Koteamine's claws grew longer again on both of his hands before his right leg moved backwards, "You don't understand the reason I was sent here. I've been deployed specifically to squash those ideals, as I've done in countless battles already!"

Robin and Koteamine charged at each other as the Gordanian general finished. Robin spun once completely to gain momentum as he slammed his staff as hard as he could at Koteamine's torso. The hit connected as Koteamine was flung into the wall, hard. As the general recovered as his eyes saw Robin charging, preparing to strike once more. His tail this time moved as it stabbed straight at the Teen Titan. Robin leapt to his left to avoid the strike and instantly vaulted himself backwards. It proved to be the correct move as Koteamine had fired several more of his claws at him, which instead lodged themselves into the floor where they stood. Had one of them hit a limb, he would have lost it instantly.

_This isn't going to be easy. So far, he's taken two of my best moves and brushed them aside effortlessly. However, if that's all he can do, I should be able to avoid his attacks at least for the time being. Hurry up everyone! I can't hold him off forever!_

Koteamine this time was the one to charge. He made a horizontal slash with one hand as Robin ducked low to avoid it. Robin instantly countered as he leapt straight up and brought his staff upward, catching the Gordanian in his chin. As he came down, Robin planted his right hand flat onto Koteamine's face. With a giant forward kick, he pushed the general away from him. Koteamine heard something beeping and realized that Robin had planted another disc onto his chest. The middle of it opened as a powerful flare spewed out of it, it was a condensed rocket which sent the general straight into the consoles behind him. Several of the consoles fell on top of Koteamine as Robin heard some circuits breaking and could feel small electrical pulses coming from the broken electronic equipment.

Robin reached into his utility belt again and pulled out several birdarangs as he waited for the general to recover. A small monitor came flying from the rubble towards him, but he had seen it coming. With a swift motion upward, the monitor split right in half. He had used his birdarangs like a blade and it cut straight through them. He stood straight up as he observed Koteamine, who was now looked displeased at having lost several small skirmishes, recover and stand up.

Robin threw each birdarang at Koteamine as the Gordanian charged again, but the general neither blocked or dodged his attack as he continued to push straight through them all and charging straight at him. Robin tried to leap to his left this time to avoid the charge, but the general never let up as his tail swept across and caught him straight on his left cheek.

The force from the blow was greater than Robin had thought as his head bounced once on the floor before his body followed. He looked up as he saw Koteamine point his right handed claws straight at him. They fired from his hand again as Robin tried rolling out of the way, but found his neck choke as his cape had apparently snagged onto something. His gaze quickly turned towards the source, three of Koteamine's claws had caught his cape, and was now firmly lodged in the ground. His cape had been the target of the last attack, and now he was caught like a bird whose wings were clipped.

Reaching with his left hand, Robin slipped out of his cape and rolled away just avoiding additional claws. He reached into his utility belt, pulling out this time several small balls and throwing them towards the general. Gas spewed out of each one, filling the room with dark smoke which Robin retreated into. Koteamine's vision was now blocked by the smoke, and even though it was the command center, there were still plenty of shadows to shield himself.

The general swept his tail once as the entire smoke field was brushed aside. Robin had disappeared and was now hiding between two consoles. Amused, Koteamine took a few steps forward and scanned the entire room. Perhaps gone from his vision, the Gordanian knew instantly that the Teen Titan had not run away from their fight, but was now waiting for an opportunity to strike. He walked by several consoles, then stopped just short of Robin's hidden location.

For a brief moment, Robin thought the general knew where he was hiding, but before he could act, Koteamine instead turned around and was preparing to walk the other way to search a different location. Robin's eyes knew instantly that this was his chance. Never before had he been able to see the Gordanian's back, and he was not going to miss this opportunity. He silently stood up so he could move, but the instant he did he found his stomach being pinched. He looked down in shock as Koteamine's tail had now wrapped itself around his stomach. Glancing quickly up, he saw that the large Gordanian was still standing in the same direction.

"We Gordanians have an acute sense of smell. I knew where you were hiding the entire time. A trick like that won't work on me."

Robin felt his body being lifted up into the air as he found himself inches away from the Gordanian's face. To make matters worse, the tail covered his entire stomach and belt, he was unable to get anything out of it to help him in his current situation. He tried pushing himself upward, but the general's grip was tight, he wasn't able to budge a single inch.

Robin felt excruciating pain as the tail's grip got tighter. It wasn't letting go and he was now finding it hard to breathe. Again he tried to push himself out of the general's grip, but all he could feel was his strength begin to fall fast. If the general so wished it, he could squeeze the remaining life out of him, and there was nothing he could do now that could stop it. His arms finally felt numb as they fell flat down, but as his eyes closed, a loud BANG! caused the general to loosen his grip slightly.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound was coming from the doors which Koteamine had closed before their fight had started. The general lifted Robin up a bit as he seemed a bit ecstatic.

"Watch carefully, human!" Koteamine pointed at the door as he mocked, "The doors are now coming down. My army has probably already defeated your friends and soon, all hope for your little mission will be gone!"

BANG! BANG!

The doors continued to be pounded upon as Koteamine earnestly watched.

"Y-you...you're wrong!" Robin shouted back as he tried squirming again to get free of the general's grip. The general, now annoyed with the Teen Titan, flung him first into the wall, then down onto the ground. His grip never leaving his stomach, Robin found himself being beaten by a being physically stronger than any human and without any means to defend himself. With a final death-tightening grip, the Gordanian grabbed a hold of his head and slammed it hard into the ground before his tail finally left his stomach.

The doors finally came down with one final push from behind, as Koteamine shielded his eyes from the dust which had been kicked up from the force. The general growled as red hair emerged from the cloud. Green eyes lit up and a blast came from them as it hit Koteamine and flew him backwards into some more consoles. The general picked himself up as Starfire, who was now supporting Robin's near unconscious body, stood.

"It would seem I underestimated your ability somewhat, Troq. I shall have to punish my fleet so this kind of thing never happens again."

Starfire fired another blast from her eyes, but this time she had aimed for the ceiling above him. Large amounts of rubble came crashing down onto Koteamine, who now found himself buried. Starfire flew backwards with Robin and laid his back against the wall. The light from the room bounced off her golden bracelet and it nearly blinded Robin as he turned his head to avoid the glare.

"I'm glad I made it, unlike last time where you were beaten badly by Frank." She gave him a gentle smile, and it filled him with some renewed strength. He was still going to need a minute or two before he could stand, but for the time being he was safe.

"Another second or two and I would have been in worse condition than what happened back then. Where are the others?" Robin winced as his body still wasn't one hundred percent. Fortunately, it did not feel like any ribs were broken, nor any internal injuries.

"Friend Cyborg went to assist friends Raven and Beast Boy and they all should be on their way here by now. I do not believe they will be long now." Starfire raised her hand and placed it on Robin's cheek. The warmth his body gave off never failed to give her renewed inspiration and drive.

The two were interrupted as Koteamine pushed himself up from the rubble. He growled again as Robin pushed himself up and stood by Starfire against the Gordanian general.

"That's twice now you've surprised me, Troq. I can assure you that it won't happen a third time. Having two weaklings instead of one will not change the situation." Koteamine walked over to one of the remaining consoles and pushed several keys. A small device emerged from the floor as Koteamine picked it up.

"I think I've played around with you long enough. It's time for my real work to begin..." Koteamine pressed a button on the device as Robin held up his hand to block Starfire from charging.

"What do you mean by that? It sounds like all you've been doing is waiting for something specific to happen." Robin demanded loudly, his echo carrying into the hallway behind him.

"You'll see soon enough. It's just about that time, anyways..." Koteamine shot back at Robin, who now seemed to be desperate.

"Starfire! Get that device out of his hands! He's going to do something!" Robin shouted as he began to sprint straight at Koteamine. Starfire's eyes glowed as well, and she took off in flight towards the Gordanian as well.

Koteamine pointed the device in his hands at the charging pair of Teen Titans and pressed a button on it twice. Both Starfire and Robin felt themselves being pulled backwards by some force. They looked back to find what appeared to be two separate large light sources engulfed by smoke. Whatever the light source was, Starfire and Robin felt themselves being pulled towards each one.

"It's something new developed by a combination of Gordanian technology with something new we were able to acquire just recently. Now, by the power vested in me by my Emperor, I hereby banish you both into different times and space. You should feel honored as being the first to experience how the Gordanian empire will conquer all of time and space!"

Robin's eyes widened as Koteamine finished and instantly turned his head towards Starfire, who was struggling not to be pulled by the portal which was drawing her into it. He reached out his hand towards her and called out her name, but his voice was being drowned out by the pull of the portal behind him. Starfire, having realized what Koteamine's words said, opened her eyes and tried reaching out to Robin as well. Their hands were mere inches away before Starfire watched helplessly as Robin was pulled into the portal behind him, his scream of her name sent a cold rush down to her own stomach. Screaming out his name one last time, she felt her own body being pulled forcefully through her own portal just as Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy had arrived in the command center.

Cyborb, Raven, and Beast had just arrived when they saw Starfire disappear from their sight. Cyborg's right arm instantly transformed as he pointed his sonic cannon at Koteamine before he began to shout.

"Where are they? I won't ask twice!" Anger filled Cyborg's voice as he finished speaking. Raven's eyes were now glowing as well, and Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex and roared once.

"A place where they will neither see each other nor any of you again. Your punishment shall be the same, for you as well will never see any of your friends ever again!" Koteamine pointed the device in his hands at the three Titans and pressed the button on it three times.

Cyborg and Raven suddenly felt themselves being pulled from behind as well. Since Beast Boy had transformed into a T-Rex, he was nearly to the source of light by the time both Cyborg and Raven had turned to see what was pulling them all. The green T-Rex changed back as Beast Boy reached his hand out, but disappeared into the light before Raven or Cyborg could grasp it.

"Damn it! Raven, don't let this thing beat you!" Cyborg screamed with his eyes closed and turned to see a stunned Raven, whose expression seemed to have changed drastically. Cyborg looked to his right, trying to see if there was anything which he could latch himself onto. He looked back at Koteamine, who was now pointing his claws straight at him. The large Gordanian shot them at Cyborg's feet, causing him to instinctively leap up. This move proved to be fatal to Cyborg, who found himself flung into the portal behind him and then closing.

Koteamine walked slowly to the last remaining Teen Titan, Raven, who was now trying to hold herself from being pulled into the portal. She looked up at the Gordanian, with a single tear in her eye, and cursed at him before his tail came across and smacked her back into the portal behind her and then closed. The Teen Titans had been beaten and banished to places unknown.

The general held up the device and stared at it for several long moments.

"With this power, no one can stand in our way! The universe will bow to the might and glory of the Gordanian empire!"

**Meanwhile, several levels below...**

Slade had finished extracting the information he had been seeking as a single Gordanian guard walked into the room. It changed into Madame Rouge as she smiled at the man whose plans were going according to plan.

"All the remaining guards are moving away from this area, I assume you now have what you have come for?"

"Yes, this is the missing link I've been searching for. The Teen Titans did an excellent job at garnering the full attention of the Gordanians, allowing me full and complete access to its mainframe. We're leaving now, there's no reason for us to stay on board this ship any longer." Slade walked past Madame Rouge as he headed for the door.

"And the Teen Titans? Judging from what has happened, it would seem that the Gordanian in charge here anticipated their moves. Are you not worried that they would be the ones to defeat the Titans and not you?" Madame Rouge asked in a mocking tone.

"If they fall here, they fall here. It's not really that important to me, either way. What does matter is that we proceed to the next phase of my plan. It will be vital to me achieving my ultimate and final goal." Slade walked out of the room as he finished, while Madame Rouge simple shrugged her shoulders and followed him.

_**Koteamine has sent Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven into separate portals and has claimed victory. With Slade also obtaining what he wants, is this truly the end for the Teen Titans?**_

_**Next Time: Chapter 9 - Raven and the Summoners**_

_**Raven finds herself in a world unfamiliar and struggles to survive without her power. You definitely won't want to miss it!**_

_**A/N: The next few chapters will be done in a very different way than anything I've ever tried doing before. I hope you will enjoy the experience!**_

_**Thank you to all who have read up to this point. Whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I wholeheartedly encourage you to share your viewpoints and/or opinions with me. I'll see you all again!**_

_**~Imagonna**_


	10. Chapter 9: Raven and the Summoners

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, Subsidiaries and/or Sponsors. The characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any similarity to actual living persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

**Legend:**

**Normal Font: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

**Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_**Koteamine has sent Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven into separate portals and has claimed victory. With Slade also obtaining what he wants, is this truly the end for the Teen Titans?**_

_**Chapter 9 - Raven and the Summoners**_

"Captain, we've just detected an energy surge over in Sector 5! Unable to identify, sir, it's something we've never seen before!" A man, dressed in full military attire, turned around as red sirens were going off in the room.

"Is it a new power from the faction?" The captain asked his soldier. The captain's attire was a bit different from his underling with some decorative frills on his shoulders.

"I don't think so, with their failed attack last time, most of them were utterly destroyed. We can't detect the type of energy, but it's definitely Class A readings!" As the soldier finished his briefing, several murmurs from the other soldiers began to open before the captain slammed both hands onto the console, stopping all others from speaking.

"That's impossible! The faction has never shown any power higher than Class D! Deploy all forces in the vicinity to investigate, find out what the hell is going on!"

**Several seconds later, high in the sky...**

Everything for Raven happened within just a few moments. It was in that brief span which everything was now taken away from her. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were all thrown into different light sources, with only General Koteamine's final words, "You will never see any of your friends again!". Although she didn't quite understand it fully, a pain fell to her stomach when her out-stretched hand failed to grab hold of Beast Boy before he disappeared. It still hurt as wind seemed to be coming from...below?

Instantly Raven opened her eyes and tried to gain control of herself. She was falling from a point very high up in the sky, the light source from where she came nowhere to be seen. Had she just been teleported from the ship and was now falling? She couldn't rule out the possibility as she quickly slowed her descent as her eyes began to move left and right, desperately trying to find her friends.

Raven looked around for a bit, then began to cough a few times. She covered her mouth with her forearm, something was in the air which made it harder to breathe at her current altitude. Not seeing any signs below of her teammates, she turned her attention directly above her. Maybe they were all falling from above her, but she was disappointed to see a painfully empty black sky.

_What is this? I know I'm higher up, so why aren't there even stars to see in the night sky?_

Disappointed, but not completely discouraged, Raven began her descent. Since Beast Boy could transform and Starfire could fly, it was possible that everyone was safe and just waiting for her. As she began her descent, she began to cough again, whatever was in the air earlier was beginning to get a bit stronger, and she soon found out why.

Most of the buildings in the area were burning. The rising smoke was gathering in the atmosphere, causing Raven's breathing problems. Had the Gordanians begun to attack the city while they were all aboard the ship? Raven instead was facing far too many questions and virtually no answers. She landed in the shadow of a large building which had already collapsed then stepped inside to examine the damage. She heard many footsteps with accompanying voices rapidly approaching and instantly leapt behind some rubble. She crouched and listened to some of the voices.

"Search the area and be careful! Even though we just won the battle, there are still many Faction members lurking about."

_The Faction? I've never heard of any such organization capable of attacking another group. Furthermore, this area doesn't feel like Jump City. Just where the hell am I?_

Raven heard footsteps moving away from her, but she also heard some moving towards her rubble pile. She was about to vanish and leave, but as she tried using her powers, she felt..nothing?

_What? My power...something is preventing me from using my power to its peak. Just perfect..._

Raven saw several flashlights now just above her. One of them was just about to turn the corner when she heard several shout out in pain before there were sounds of bodies hitting walls and fallen rubble. While Raven wasn't exactly sure what was going on around her, she did recognize several things. Those who were following her were taken out by either by someone who was already here to begin with, or someone who came in afterwards in complete stealth to avoid detection. Raven knew those who were capable of such a feat was those with specialized training, the kind special ops in the military performed, or those like Robin.

"We're clear!" A female's voice rang louder than any of the previous ones. It didn't sound threatening, but Raven still dared not to move.

"You can come out now! The proper thing to do in these cases are to at least say ' Thank You!' to those who rescued you, ya know!" A second voice came through before Raven heard a smacking sound.

"That hurt! What'd you do that for, Lisa?" A male voice shouted back.

"It's Summoner Lisa to you, and you're too loud! At this rate, I'd be surprised if even more from the Foundation come here now!"

"But you're being the loudest one!" The male voice and what Raven could only tell as Lisa were now engaged in a shouting match. It was enough to give her a headache, so she finally stepped out from the rubble so she could see.

The female Lisa, was dressed in an all blue robe. A slender woman appearing in her mid twenties, she had long and straight black hair extending just past her shoulders. Two small earrings pierced each ear with a silver necklace around her neck led Raven to believe she was an attractive female. Standing only slightly taller than herself, Lisa appeared to be the one in charge, or so at least she thought.

Her male counterpart had messy short brown hair and wore a black jumpsuit, complete with a belt with many attachments on it. His face was dirty with dirt and what looked like black oil on it. His gloves were black and filled with several holes in them, they had apparently been torn in many battles. Raven's eyes moved down towards his feet, to which she was not surprised to see he was wearing black boots as well. What ended up standing out was a pair of thin blue wings on his chest.

"Thanks for the help, but I'm having a hard time understanding the current situation. Is there a place where someone can tell me what's going on around here? Like for starters, who are you people? And who were they?" Raven's questions seemed to have stopped the two of them from bickering and brought their attention to her.

"Did you fall and hit your head or something, lady? Even children know what's going on around here. You've got to be-" The man's voice was cut off as Lisa raised her hand in front of his face to interrupt.

"Do you really not know who we or those people are?" Lisa nodded her head towards the fallen soldiers they had taken out. Raven turned and finally got a clean glance at those who were after her. The men were all unconscious, but Raven's gaze immediately turned towards the large weapons on the ground. They were all sophisticated, looking like something from science fiction rather than those she encountered on Earth.

_The weapons the men were carrying, I've never seen any designs like them at all. At first glance, they appear to be primitive, but when you look closer, they're using some kind of energy source for their power. The only weapons I've ever seen like this Cyborg has, but these are on a completely different level! _

Raven remained silent as she turned her attention towards Lisa and her companion. She had no idea who to trust, for all she knew they could be leading her to a worse situation than if she remained on her own. Furthermore, she was also interested in hearing more about the Faction and Foundation. She got the feeling both played a key and pivotal role in what was going on in the area.

"I thought so, you really don't know anything about what's going on around here. In any case, we won't force you to come with us, but if you go out there, you'll meet more of these guys. You can decide for yourself if you trust us or not once you speak with our leader. " Lisa extended her hand as a friendly gesture, offering at least for the time being, peace between them.

Still silent, Raven nodded once as all three began to move towards the doorway from where she had come in the first place. A spotlight moved up and down the building as the three waited for it to pass. Once it did, all three began sprinting in the shadows. Silently, all of them moved in the darkness like that for several blocks before they came to a dark alley which appeared to be a dead-end.

"I hope there's a hidden passage around here, otherwise we're just sitting ducks." Raven commented, but she received no response as Lisa pressed her hand on the wall in front of her.

Raven was surprised to see that a small panel on the floor suddenly popped up slightly. As quickly as it did, Lisa's male counterpart lifted it before Lisa jumped into it.

"Hurry, it won't be long before the Foundation appears in this area." Lisa's male companion pointed out as he urged Raven to follow. Without another word, Raven leapt in as well before Lisa's counterpart entered slowly and pulled the panel on the ground into place behind them.

As Raven landed on the ground below her, she suddenly found herself in the sewers below the city. What was odd about it was there didn't seem to be an overflowing stench, nor even any sewage water flowing. It was dry, but there were lights located strategically around the corridors, allowing anyone to see. Lisa was waiting just down the hall, so Raven slowly started walking towards her. Lisa stomped on a certain spot in the ground, which opened up a second passage. As the walls pulled back, Raven was relieved to finally see some more humans. They ran out and greeted Lisa and her male companion before turning and staring straight at her. When Lisa waved them off, she motioned for Raven to follow her.

"Those who were just here are going to inform our leader of what's happened so far. Come, you'll be able to finally rest and then we'll finally be able to speak openly." Lisa's talk of a place to gather information would be invaluable to Raven. She was in a very strange place, and did not seem to know anything that was going on.

The two turned several corners and went down a few flights of stairs before they came to a large room with just an old couch. Lisa walked over and had a seat before she finally addressed Raven.

"Now then, here we can finally speak freely. I believe you had some questions for us, Miss...?" Lisa motioned for Raven to sit, but she held up her hand and remained standing.

"Raven, just who are you people?" Raven began as she desperately needed some answers.

"We're known as the Faction. A group of Summoners along with its Protectors, we seek to end what the Foundation started nearly three decades ago." Lisa answered, but was taken slightly back when Raven looked even more puzzled than before.

"Hmm...doesn't seem like you know anything about either side. It's quite unheard of, considering how old you are. Like I said earlier, even children know the conflict in place right now!" Lisa retorted back. She turned to her male companion, who shrugged his shoulders. He apparently had no idea about what to do either.

"Rather than that, Miss Raven," A familiar voice came from behind her as Raven turned around quickly. The voice was nearly identical to Beast Boy's, but she was surprised to see a male appearing in his late twenties now speaking to her. He was wearing the same black jumpsuit that Lisa's compatriot was wearing, but his skin was light and fair. Sporting a stubble on his chin, Raven noticed that had his skin been green, it might have been what Beast Boy looked like in fifteen years. A bit in shock, Raven removed her hood as the man who stood in front of her was now directing the conversation.

"Leader!" Lisa stood up and saluted, but the man known as the leader of the group simply waved her off before he spoke again to Raven.

"Since you don't appear to be from the Foundation and have no clue who we or they are, why don't you start at the beginning and tell us how you got here. Several of our strongest Summoners here detected your presence which is what brought us to you in the first place."

"Before that, did you happen to see anybody else before I came here? There were five of us and we ended up being separated." Raven pleaded with the leader of the group, who seemed a bit surprised, but then regained himself before he responded.

"I'm sorry, but the only presence we detected was you. No others have been detected in this area, and if something like that happened, we'd definitely have heard about it by now." The leader's voice did not appear to Raven that he was lying. Raven's heart sank a bit as she heard the leader's words.

_Well this is a pickle. I don't see any harm in letting them know at least about the Gordanians and about that bright light which ended up sending me here. Was it some kind of portal into another dimension?_

Taking a deep breath, Raven began informing the leader about her friends. Leaving out the part of being the Teen Titans ,she carefully told them about how they were on a mission to stop a large ship whose inhabitants known as the Gordanians were responsible for the deaths of several innocent people in their town. Then, she told them about how Koteamine had pressed a button on some device and the next thing she knew, she was here.

As Raven finished her explanation, she was a bit surprised to see both Lisa and her companion stare in utter confusion.

"it's as I thought, you're from a different world..." The leader rubbed his hair before he walked over and sat down next to Lisa.

"Let me be clear, Miss Raven. I've never heard of any such race as the Gordanians you spoke of earlier. Additionally, the only deaths in these parts are committed by both sides for complete control of the meteor. When you fell from the sky earlier tonight, a battle had finished between both us and the Foundation." The leader began explaining everything to her, but there were still several unanswered questions.

"Meteor? Just why is it at the center of the conflict in this area, Mr. Leader?" Raven asked.

"Please, call me Gar. Since you asked that question, I guess it really does prove that you are from another world after all. Tim, would you please pull a seat for our guest? Please have a seat, Miss Raven, for I will explain everything to you as best that I can. Then, you can determine what it is you need to do." The leader, now identified as Gar, motioned for her to seat as Lisa's companion Tim pulled up a chair for her to sit.

"Right, for the most part, our world here was a peaceful one. Sure, we all fought occasionally, but for the most part everyone lived in relative peace. Everything changed however, when a large meteor fell from the sky above, bringing with it something which is at the center of our conflict today. You see, when the meteor fell and impacted the ground, it released a worldwide surge of magical power. It was quite a shock to the people since before the meteor hit, there wasn't even a trace of magical energy in the world. The largest power at the time, the Foundation, was built around its mechanical and technological prowess. The technology and reputation the Foundation brought with it ensured that nobody dared to oppose the Foundation, but soon things got way out of hand in a way nobody could have predicted."

"Let me guess," Raven interrupted, "There were people in the world who suddenly found themselves able to use magic."

"Precisely, people around the world were suddenly able to use power they never had before. Individuals who are able to harness the magical power around them became known as Summoners. You see, Summoners draw upon the energy and are able to call forth creatures of monumental power and strength. Usually, they take the form of animals: bears, tigers, that sort of thing. This new sort of power, however, did not sit well with the Foundation. They had been the primary power in the world and instantly declared that all Summoners were to be condemned. Without further warning, hundreds of Summoners were captured and then brought to its capital. The lucky ones died within a few days, but the unfortunate ended up being tortured before their lives were finally brought to an end." Gar then turned his head towards Lisa, who Raven now understood to be one of the Summoners.

"I myself was once part of the Foundation, but when I saw what was going on, I could not allow it to go on any longer. I denounced the Foundation and gathered as many Summoners as I possibly could. Since I was once part of the Foundation, they initially tried to label me as a separate Faction in order to prevent further Summoners from joining me. After a while, the name caught on and we simply became known as the Faction. We still gather Summoners to this day and band together in an effort to stop the Foundation from committing any further acts of genocide." Gar shrugged a bit as Raven's attention was now on Tim.

"I take it Summoners usually travel in groups, then?" Raven asked.

"Correct, the black outfits are those who are known as Protectors. Tim is Lisa's Protector, he keeps her safe long enough for her to use her magic to defeat members of the Foundation, or anybody else who would bring her harm." Gar smiled a bit as he finished explaining.

"So, it's essentially a war of technology versus magic if I'm not misunderstanding something." Raven remarked as Gar nodded.

"That's right. Essentially, that's what it comes down to." Gar crossed his arms as Raven continued to learn more about the world she now found herself in. It felt like those around her weren't lying, so she felt it wouldn't hurt to ask about why her powers were suddenly fading.

"I know quite a bit about magic, myself. However, for some reason, my powers just aren't working as well as they usually are." Raven made two fists, then unclenched as she stared at her hands.

"It might be because we're so close to the meteor itself. As you know, when the meteor first hit the planet, it released a large amount of magical power. The Foundation has been trying to destroy it for years, since it continues to release magical power even now." Lisa commented as everyone turned to her. Raven turned to Gar as something Lisa had just said made her curious about one other thing.

"Years? Exactly what year is it now?" Raven inquired to a surprised Lisa and Tim.

"It's 5326. I thought you had just come from a different world. Wait a second, are you telling me that you come from the same planet as we do?" Gar asked impulsively, to which Raven nodded.

"Yeah, in the world I live in now, there isn't an abundance of magic like there is here. Not to mention that in my world, we just celebrated the turn of the century of the year 2000 not too long ago." Raven remarked to now a stunned trio.

"Incredible, so when the Gordanian Koteamine sent you into the portal, he wanted to make sure of a few things. I think I see what he meant now..." Gar was thinking out loud, but his last sentence caused Raven to leap up from her chair and grasp his shoulders.

"What did you just mean by that? Are you telling me there's absolutely no way to get back to my world?" Raven impulsively asked. The volume of her voice had not increased, but there was now a sudden sense of urgency within it.

"Well, keep in mind this is just a theory, after all. I have absolutely no way to prove whether I'm right or wrong." Raven's hands were still on his shoulders, but he stared back with confidence and a conviction Raven had only seen glimpses of in Beast Boy during their tenure. Silently, she nodded once for him to continue.

"The device you said Koteamine pressed several times before you all were separated leads me to believe it is a combination of both time and space. It involves solving the decoherence problem, as well as completely refuting most of the physics laws. I believe the device sent you not only into a different Earth, but in a different time as well."

Raven remained silent, but both Tim and Lisa were having a hard time believing some of what Gar had spoken of earlier.

"That's ridiculous, a device which can send someone unwillingly to a different time and Earth? I've seen and heard plenty in my day, but something that can do all that is just impossible!" Lisa's argument was solid, but Raven did not have time to digest it since Tim also put in his two cents.

"Indeed, not to mention that this took place over three thousand years ago if her Earth exists at all!" Tim retorted, but Gar stood up quickly to counter.

"That's enough, Tim! I said it was only a theory, but you have no right to question this girl's account of what happened!" Gar was staring down Tim, but Raven tapped his leg to interrupt.

"It's alright, but please continue with what you were saying earlier." Raven pleaded, and without another word, Gar walked over and sat in front of her again. Truth be told, it was a bit strange if you looked at it from their point of view. Spanning across 3,000 years and crossing dimensions is a bit hard to accept. However, what Raven did notice was that Gar never seemed to question or doubt anything which Raven had said.

"Right, well if you were sent by an individual portal, it stands to reason that your friends were also sent to different Earths and times as well. Keep in mind that each of you were sent into a different portal , so if you work it out that way, everything makes sense." Gar finished his reasoning, indeed what he did say made complete sense by everything which had happened to Raven and her friends. General Koteamine's words of stating that none of them would see each other again also supported Gar's arguments. There was one last thing though, but Tim was the one to ask it.

"Assuming everything she said is true, why Gar are you so quick to believe every single word she says?" Tim had his arms crossed and was vaguely pointing at Raven with her thumb.

"Everything that's happened today so far has been completely out of the ordinary. First there was the failed assault on the meteor, we never expected the Foundation to harness the meteor's power as an energy source and use it in their weapons."

"That energy source I saw in those rifles earlier, is it actually part of the meteor?" Raven interjected, but was met with surprise to both Tim and Lisa.

"She really may not be from this world, Tim. No, Raven, it uses the same energy signature of their previous weapons, but now the energy has magic fused with it. They're capable of now killing a Summoner's animal, killing a Summoner and her Protector have long since been their ultimate goal now that we've banded together after all. " Lisa commented, to which Tim still seemed a bit skeptical at Raven.

"Well, now that you've heard everything about us, Raven. What will you end up doing from here?" Tim asked with a bit of curiosity.

"I don't know. Does the Foundation have anything which could allow me to travel back to my world? I get the feeling that you don't have much in the form of technology." Raven turned and asked Gar, who stood up from the sofa and addressed her.

"Truth be told, we received some information which didn't really seem relevant at the time, but now that you're here, I think it may serve its purpose. Two years ago, an old scientist managed to form a device which allowed individuals to travel through dimensions. His work was deemed insufficient for the Foundation's goals and he was subsequently executed with his work quarantined. As luck would have it, the Foundation keeps all of the work here in its capital." Gar pointed out the information, which Raven took as a blessing.

"I think that answers your question, Tim." Lisa turned to Raven, who now had at least had a path to follow.

"Yes, I will head where the late scientist's work is found within the Foundation capital. Can you guys get me in there?" Raven asked Gar, who now had his eyes closed and was contemplating something. It was a long few seconds before he opened them and answered her.

"Sure, getting you in there would actually prove beneficial to our goal as well, so you can rest easy knowing that much at least. Before that, however, we'll need to do something about your power..." Gar turned his head towards both Tim and Lisa, who now were a bit surprised by the look on his face.

"Tim, Lisa, the two of you will work together to train Raven. She already has a bit of magical fortitude, so I don't think it will be long before she is ready."

"Ready for what, exactly?" Raven asked, her left eyebrow raised.

"The Art of Summoning. I have a feeling you will be able to do it as well." Gar responded, then turned and walked out the door.

_**Raven has found herself in both a world and time she doesn't know, but has found allies willing to help her find a way to possibly rejoin her team. With Lisa and Tim now her teachers in the Art of Summoning, will she be able to find a way back home?**_

_**Next time: Chapter 10: Beast Boy's Ultimate Dilemma**_

_**The story shifts to Beast Boy, who arrives in Jump City currently occupied by the Titan's greatest enemy. There, he is forced to confront some of his worst fears, including facing the one person he hoped never to see again. You definitely won't want to miss it!**_

_**A/N: I'm trying something which I've never done, so your continued support will be invaluable as I write at least the next ten chapters. **_

_**Thank you to all who have read up to this point. Whether you loved or hated any part of my story, I wholeheartedly encourage you to share your viewpoints and/or opinions with me. I'll see you all again!**_

_**~Imagonna**_


	11. Chapter 10: Beast Boy's Ultimate Dilemma

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, Subsidiaries and/or Sponsors. The characters and events depicted are fictitious. Any similarity to actual living persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

**Legend:**

Normal Font**: Basic read and insight.**

**Bold: Change of location or time.**

_Italics_**: Individual thoughts and recollections.**

**THE 2ND SACRIFICE**

_**The story shifts to Beast Boy, who arrives in Jump City currently occupied by the Titan's greatest enemy. There, he is forced to confront some of his worst fears, including facing the one person he hoped never to see again...**_

_**Chapter 10: Beast Boy's Ultimate Dilemma**_

Two of Slade's commandos were shooting their blasters at Beast Boy, who had transformed into a Pterodactyl and was attempting to fly away. The green dinosaur steadily ascended into the sky, however the followers of the Teen Titans' worst enemy was not so eager to give up on the pursuit.

Beast Boy was not having a good day. He had fallen through the portal and into a dead zone which previously was Jump City. There were no traces of life anywhere in the place where the green Titan and his friends called home. The streets were quiet and there was debris and trash everywhere. Upon landing in the place he barely recognized, Beast Boy called out to his friends. When he received no answer, he began to scream, which ended up being a huge mistake. All his yelling and shouting had only brought Slade's commandos to his current location. In a single day, Beast Boy was first deceived by General Koteamine before he sent him through the portal. Now, he was separated from the team and there did not seem to be a single person in sight anywhere.

As the green Pterodactyl did a barrel roll in the sky, two of Slade's commandos lifted up into the sky, their shoes propelled with small rockets in their feet which allowed them to continue the chase. They each kept firing several beams at Beast Boy, but not one was able to find its mark.

The realization that he was perhaps alone finally hit Beast Boy as he ascended higher into the clouds. Help was not coming, and there was not going to be anyone to bail him out should things take a turn for the worse. The Pterodactyl then changed forms, into the fastest animal he knew which could fly, a falcon. The falcon easily was able to put a great deal of distance between himself and his pursuers. Rather quickly, the falcon heard the shots firing from the blasters from the commandos getting further and further away. The falcon then rose and ascended quickly before it disappeared into a large cloud.

It was not long before the commandos passed through the large cloud, they had been able to trace the birds path all the way up to that specific point. The two commandos came to a halt as they emerged from the large cloud and began to hover and search for their lost prey. Both looked down as a large shadow suddenly covered the two of them. Glancing up, they saw a large green gorilla falling towards their position. Beast Boy, from his ascended position, had transformed and was letting gravity take over. As both commandos raised their weapons towards the large falling mammal, the gorilla made _impact with the first one, landing hard on its chest before ripping off its head and throwing it at the_ other commando, knocking its weapon out of its hand. Before the commando could reach for his fallen weapon, the gorilla leaped from the commando he had landed on and sprung forward and grabbed onto its feet. The gorilla changed once more, this time into a snake, as it slithered up the body and wrapped itself around the body of the last commando. The force from the squeeze was eventually enough, as the body cracked before falling apart completely. With its job now done, the green snake became a falcon once more, and flew down towards solid ground.

The bird glided down to the sidewalk before changing back to his normal form, and Beast Boy was now able to survey the area. The streets were bare with still no signs of life. It was as if everybody had collectively decided to just pick up and leave, forgetting and leaving countless items behind. There were still dozens of cars parked in a line, and Beast Boy walked over to have a closer look.

The mid-sized sedan he came to was red, but it had collected a lot of dust due to the lack of care. With his index finger, he ran it up on the hood of the car, revealing the original crimson color.

_Just where in the world am I? This looks just like Jump City, but there's nobody here. Since I ran into a couple of Slade's old minions, I think at least he's still around._

The wind came blowing through, carrying a soda can with it. Its sound clanking on the ground was the only thing he could hear. He watched as it blew into a newspaper stand, which then prompted him to walk over and look.

Jump City's newspaper stands always had a copy of the edition currently inside the machine. He squinted his eyes to try and make out the front page, but the dust which had collectively been building all but made it impossible. He grabbed the handle and pulled, but found the locking mechanism was still in place.

With one pull from his gorilla arm, the machine opened, with a ton of dust coming with it from the force of Beast Boy's pull. He coughed several times and waved his arm to clear the air, his view finally no longer obstructed. Picking up the newspaper, he took a hard look at the headline, but then ended up looking twice at it.

The headline read, "Robots Invade City, Mayor Orders Evacuation". The headline itself wasn't the issue, but the byline underneath was what caught his attention.

"With the Teen Titans dead, is this the beginning of the end?" Beast Boy became fixated on that single line.

"What in the hell? Dead? I don't remember anything like this ever happening except for when we fought Ter-"

Beast Boy realized then what it was. There had been a time when the city was completely deserted. A time when all five of them had almost died. It was the work of Slade, and he had almost succeeded because he turned one of them into a double agent.

Terra, the Teen Titan with whom he was closest to had chosen to side with Slade, and because of her actions, the nearly cost all of them everything. Things did work out in the end, as Terra ended up sacrificing herself to save the city from a volcanic eruption caused by herself when she regained control and freed herself from Slade's control. She ended up turning to stone, but somehow was able to free herself some time later. All in all, it was a very painful memory for Beast Boy, one that he was all too familiar with.

He glanced up at the date, it was from...3 weeks ago?!

_Impossible! Terra took down Slade and saved the city, so why does this say it's just from last month?!_

Beast Boy turned around as he saw a black raven land briefly on the street, scavenging for whatever it could find. The bird ended up picking up a small piece of trash, a discarded cigarette butt in its mouth before taking off in flight, leaving several small black feathers behind. Watching its trajectory, the bird made its way to the end of the street, where the graveyard of the city was located. It landed briefly on one of the tombstones at the top of the hill, then dropped its possession before crowing and taking off again.

Curious, Beast Boy made his way to where the raven had landed. He wasn't sure what it was that was drawing him there, but something in the graveyard was calling to him. As he made his way to the tombstone, he noticed that he was standing on the wrong side, the name of the deceased was on the other side. As he walked around he peered at the name, and felt his heart sink as each letter came into view.

R-A-V-E- _No, it couldn't be! There's just no freaking way!_

Beast Boy's fears were confirmed when he made it all the way around and now had a clear view. As clear as day, the tombstone read Here Lies Raven, member of the Teen Titans, and hero to us all.

He glanced right, and then saw another familiar name. Here lies Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, member of the Teen Titans, and hero to us all. Continuing on, he saw Starfire's name, then Dick Grayson, aka Robin; all four of his friends were dead and had their own tombstones.

_No! This can't be right! This can't be real! _

He moved even further right from Robin's grave to find a name he didn't recognize, then he moved into the center where all four of his friends were laid to rest. The whole situation didn't make any sense to him, then he glanced downward to see the date for when they had died. It was the same day from when Terra had betrayed the team.

_Something's way off here...according to these tombstones my friends have been dead for over a year now! I was with all of them just today! Will someone please tell me what's going on?!_

The raven, which had departed, returned once more and landed on the tombstone one to the left from where Raven's tombstone had been set. It had something in its mouth and was using the tombstone to try and crack it open. It took several tries, but it eventually succeeded and took off in flight once more.

Beast Boy moved to see, was the tombstone it just landed on the one from earlier? He moved left and then fell onto his rear as his knees gave out.

The tombstone read, "Here lies Garfield Logan, aka Beast Boy, member of the Teen Titans and hero to us all".

**Meanwhile, in an underground lair...**

A tall and skinny blond woman stepped through the shadow and into the light of several monitors which showed different areas of the city. Each screen showed a separate section of the city and the image held for a brief moment before cycling through to the next. With each screen it allowed whoever was watching to see the center and key components of the city: police headquarters, the mayor's office, Jump City's power station, and finally, Titans Tower.

The young woman took out a small palm pilot and checked the content on the screen.

"Odd, units 8 and 9 are no longer online. Did something take them out?" The young woman punched several keys before the monitors all reset.

"Let's find out what the last things they recorded before they went offline..."

Each monitor now showed the same image on every screen. The viewpoint was that from a commando, as it was patrolling with another. Both commandos suddenly turned when they heard a screeching noise. Somehow, the sound was familiar to the girl, but she couldn't place it exactly.

The girl observed as the commandos made their way to the source of the noise, but then the video feed suddenly cut forward, each screen was now showing both commando firing at...a bird?

"Stupid robots, they're chasing after a bird. I guess there still are bugs which need to be worked out of their system before we move on to bigger targets like Metropolis and Gotham City." The girl shrugged and turned to walk away, but the sound of a gorilla roaring caused her to flinch right back and view the screen.

Her eyes widened as she saw a giant green gorilla come crashing down onto the commando and tearing its head off, cutting the feed from that commando. She watched as the gorilla threw its head at the other one, knocking out the laser in its hand.

"That's...not possible! " The young blond girl suddenly was filled with rage, and anger filled her voice.

"He's supposed to be fucking dead!" The screen now showed the commando twitching, the last sight on the screen was a green snake as it hissed before going completely black.

The girl cursed loudly as she glowed a yellow color as a large rock came from the ground and crashed into the screen. She was heaving now, and a bit of drool was seeping from the left side of her mouth.

She turned around, where a motionless man in a black and gold mask was sitting in a chair, his right cheek resting on his fist which was propped up by his elbow on the armrest.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to kill him properly this time..." The girl, known as Terra, smiled as she wiped the drool from her face and disappeared once more into the darkness, with Slade still resting in his chair without making a sound.

**Two hours later, in the Titans Tower lobby...**

Beast Boy walked around the tower which was known as his home, the place had been ransacked. Whether it was done by Slade's commandos or someone else, it was impossible to tell. The couch had hundreds of holes and was torn to shreds, every single window in the place had been busted and there was debris everywhere.

He had checked out his room and found the same thing, although he wasn't expecting anything less. Teenagers had been in the tower as well, there was graffiti all over the walls, each stating some explicative or another.

He tried checking the others' rooms, but found the same thing as well. The rooms had been thrashed beyond recognition and all of the valuables in the tower were long gone. The war room still had all the papers pinned up about Slade on it, but the teenagers' graffiti had covered up most of it.

Making his way to the kitchen, he lifted the faucet, but no water came out. Beast Boy was lost, and he had absolutely no answers as to what was going on. Finally, he gave up and sat down on the broken couch.

He rubbed his eyes, then scratched at his head, messing up his hair.

_What in the hell is going on?! I've been here forever, without any clue as to what's happened here, or for that matter, how in the hell to get back to the others! _

How long it was that Beast Boy sat there contemplating, even he wasn't sure. An hour? Two? It really didn't matter since he was unable to come up with any sort of reasonable answer. He was just about to scream again, when suddenly, his entire head suddenly began to writhe in pain.

The sensation was excruciating, his entire head from his eyes to his nose began to scream out in pain. It was as if someone was suddenly jamming thousands of microscopic needles into every pore on his head. The feeling then moved down, to encompass his neck, then his shoulders. Gradually, the feeling made its way down his torso and then through to his thighs. Beast Boy fell off the couch and began to violently shake on the ground.

There was no time to think, no time to act, whatever this pain was he just wanted it to stop.

_What the hell is this?! It feels like I'm being pulled..._

As quickly as the pain came, it then suddenly left him, his entire body contorted in an odd way before he ended up passing out from the pain.

"Huh?"

Beast Boy awoke to find himself covered in nothing but white light. He sat up, and checked himself, the pain was completely gone. He sat up and looked around, there was nothing but emptiness all around him. Nothing but white light, from the ground to the sky, it seemed like it was an endless void.

"Great, I've gone from a situation I didn't understand to another situation I don't understand. What else could possibly happen to me today?"

It was then that he finally heard a sound. A voice? It had been hours since he had heard anyone speak, but the sound was muffled, he couldn't make out what it was saying.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

The sound then echoed, and a voice finally came through.

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-e-e-e-es. Ca-a-a-a-a-an y-y-y-ou h-h-hear me?"

Beast Boy shook his head, maybe the pain from earlier had caused his hearing to deteriorate for a moment. He then tried to focus on the voice while he responded.

"Yes, I can! Who are you, and can you tell me what's going on?" Beast Boy shouted out into the void, he wasn't sure if the voice could hear him, so he raised his voice to ensure it.

"D-danger. You must l-l-leave immediately! Your friends are in g-g-grave danger!" As the voice responded, Beast Boy was able to make out the sound of the voice. It was a female's voice, and it sounded a lot like-

"Raven! It's you, isn't it?! What's going on?! I saw all of our graves earlier, is this some kind of nightmare that Koteamine sent me into? If it is, I just want to wake up now!" Beast Boy was now pleading with Raven's voice, but he couldn't tell from where her voice was coming from.

Finally, Beast Boy felt something from behind him and he turned around. A bright light blinded him as he turned around, and he closed his eyes to shield himself from it. When he opened them, he saw Raven, with her white cloak on, but there were many noticeable changes about her.

For one, she was much older, at least ten years. She looked to be in her late 20's to early 30's, not the teenager he had grown up with. Her purple hair was long, and it had curls in it towards the tips. Finally, she was just a little taller than he knew and remembered. One thing was for sure, she grew up to be a beautiful woman.

"Your friends are in danger, Beast Boy!" Raven finally spoke after Beast Boy had been stunned silent. Her words finally brought him out of his trance and he began spouting off again.

"Okay, I always knew you were weird, but since when can you do all of this?" Beast Boy pointed straight at her, something which usually ended up with him getting beaten in some way or fashion.

"Garfield, please! I don't have much time to explain!" Raven held up her hand to his face, asking for silence.

"You don't belong here, Beast Boy. The first thing you should know is that this is not your Earth. I'm not sure how you got thrown into this dimension, but you've been thrown into a world where we're already dead." Raven explained as she dropped her hand and placed it by her side.

"Yeah, I saw all of the graves earlier, including mine. What do you mean I don't belong here?" Beast Boy inquired, with a very puzzled look on his face.

"Right, judging from your youthful appearance, I remember you weren't always as fast on the uptake, so I'll try and make it as simple as I can. You're in a parallel Earth, and somehow you were thrown into one years ahead of your time at the same moment as well." Raven had hoped her explanation would suffice, to which Beast Boy nodded a few times.

"Oh yeah, I've seen that happen a few times in comic books. But when that happened, they were thrown into the same time period, not a different year as well!" Raven gave half a smile as she heard that Beast Boy had understood.

"Right, well like I was alluding to earlier, somehow you got thrown into not only a different Earth, but also a different year as well. There are several things, though, I'm not sure of, like how you got here." Raven asked, then prompted Beast Boy to explain the entire situation.

Beast Boy kept his explanation relatively short, regarding the team and how they were separated when Koteamine flipped a switch in his hand. He then woke up in an absolutely deserted Jump City and from there, he eventually ended up here after passing out from an excruciating pain.

"Was that you, Raven? 'Cause that didn't tickle at all!" Beast Boy pointed at Raven again, but withdrew it once he saw a confused look on Raven's face.

"No, Garfield, that wasn't me. I'm afraid I don't know this 'Koteamine' you speak of, and I don't know how I can get you home. All I know is that your presence here is causing our dimension here to start to tear, and it won't be long before it breaks."

"What do you mean, break? And why do you keep calling me by my first name?! Stop it, it's creeping me out!" Beast Boy was getting a bit irritated, and Raven's nature was really making him feel uncomfortable.

"I mean, whatever made you come here is causing our dimension to fall apart. If you don't get back to your time and Earth soon, it'll cause time and space to rip open itself, the entire planet here will be destroyed!" Raven's voice suddenly grew serious in nature, her tone instantly got Beast Boy to calm himself down and listen closely.

"Unfortunately, it gets worse. Based on what you told me, if all five of you don't get back, it could cause a chain reaction and destroy your world as well. You won't have a home to go home to." Raven finished as Beast Boy then interjected.

"How long do we have then?" Beast Boy asked, his tone now matching hers.

"Hard to say, our dimension is breaking apart quickly, but other dimensions may not break so fast. I don't think my Earth has more than a day left at the rate everything has been happening." Raven replied, but she turned her head, as if something was drawing her attention. Beast Boy peered over as well, but he neither saw nor heard anything.

"In any case, you've got to get back soon. What you told me earlier about the pain is different. It sounds almost like a dimensional pull, but that doesn't seem quite right." Raven cupped her own chin as she crossed her arms and began to process the last event Beast Boy experienced before passing out.

"You mean, that wasn't you?" Beast Boy asked, a bit surprised.

"No, only when you fell asleep was the point where I was able to contact you. I'm sorry, I don't know how that pain correlates with what you've been experiencing. Whatever you do, Garfield, you'll have to do it on your own." Raven closed her eyes and turned away from Beast Boy.

"You mean, you're not going to help me?! I can't do this on my own! Plus there are probably still a ton of Slade's old commando unit out there." Beast Boy pleaded with Raven, but she just clenched her right elbow with her left hand. Beast Boy, upon seeing all of it, reached out to her, but stopped when she responded.

"I can't, Beast Boy, all I am now is just this. Or at least, how I would have looked if we all had survived. The newspaper article you saw earlier, that happened over 10 years ago. Everyone in the city ran away, from what I've been able to gather, the rest of the world isn't in much better shape. Ours is a doomed world, Garfield, you need to get back to your world so that it doesn't become like this." Raven turned around and took Beast Boy by surprise when she gave him a deep hug.

"Umm...Raven? What exactly happened to you, I mean...me?" Beast Boy was feeling a bit uncomfortable again, but then found himself beginning to not being able to hear again.

"You're waking up, Garfield. I'm afraid this is the last time you'll see me here. Whatever happens when you wake up, don't lose faith! Just keep believing and stay true to who you are!" Raven, who now had tears in her eyes, began to fade away from Beast Boy's sight.

"Raven, wait! There's still a few things I need to talk to you about! What happened to us and why are you still calling me by my name?!" Beast Boy screamed out, but he couldn't make out the last words Raven was speaking.

Even though he couldn't hear her speak, he was able to just vaguely make out the last words Raven by reading her lips.

"Well that's because I-"

The tower began to shake violently as Beast Boy suddenly awoke. The remaining glass in the windows broke completely as everything in the room shook. Several times he tried to stand up, but each time he never made it quite to his feet and fell over each time. After what seemed like an eternity, the tremors stopped and Beast Boy stood up.

"Was that an earthquake?" Beast Boy looked outside towards the city. Nothing else seemed damaged, so it didn't appear to be a big earthquake.

When he started to hear rumbling beneath, Beast Boy instinctively took a few steps back. A blond woman riding on a large boulder hovering in mid-air with bloodshot eyes glared back at him.

"I don't know how you're still alive, but I assure you that any mistake can easily be rectified!" The blond woman hissed at Beast Boy, who took one more step backward.

One of the last things Raven told him was just now starting to make sense.

_Whatever happens, don't lose faith! Just keep believing and stay true to who you are!_

"Terra..."

_**Beast Boy now stands alone against Terra, bent on destroying him. With Raven's prophecy holding over him, can he do anything against someone who's already killed the Teen Titans?**_

_**Next time: Chapter 11 - A Little Faith **_

_**Beast Boy faces off against Terra as Raven attempts to learn the art of summoning. You won't want to miss it!**_

_**A/N: Thanks for reading up to this point. Whether you loved or hated any part of the story so far, I encourage you to share your opinion(s)/viewpoints with me. **_

_**Your patience here with me goes way beyond words. I'm trying something I've never read before, so I'm not entirely 100% sure it will work out. **_

_**Special thanks goes to everyone who remind me to keep doing this.**_

_**~Imagonna**_


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